UAE court sentences GCC national to 15 years in jail for terrorist activities

A Gulf national was sentenced to 15 years in jail by the state security chamber of the UAE Supreme Court on Monday on charges of joining two terrorist organisations: Al Nusra Front in Syria, and Al Qaeda.

The court found the 45-year-old guilty of “intentionally providing funds to the two terrorist organisations” to help them carry out their activities, official news agency WAM reported.

An investigation by the public prosecution revealed that he had collaborated and communicated with members of a banned organisation and transferred money to its members.

The accused was found guilty of committing an offence under the federal law No. (7) of 2014 and its amendments concerning combating terrorism crimes.

The UAE formally designated Al Nusra Front as a terrorist organisation in 2014.

In a separate case, the Supreme Court also sentenced three GCC nationals to three years in prison and fined them Dhs50,000 each for trading in weapons without a licence, WAM reported.

Another Gulf national was handed a seven-year imprisonment term.

The court ordered confiscation of all the arms and ammunition found with the defendants as well as the communication devices they used in carrying out their crimes.