Yesterday (Tuesday), seven people were formally trialed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over terrorism charges. According to state prosecutors, the seven men are linked with Lebanese Hezbollah of which the UAE labels a terrorist organization. Among the accused are five foreigners and two Emirati nationals. The crew stands accused of spying for Hezbollah and providing the group with confidential information regarding the UAE military.
One defendant, an Egyptian woman who worked for an oil company is accused of passing information about UAE oil fields to Hezbollah. Three Lebanese nationals and an Iraqi are also accused of attempting to set up an Hezbollah cell inside the United Arab Emirates.
Last Friday, Hezbollah was declared a “terrorist group” by the Arab League; a move which Gulf States also did earlier in the month. Several ministers reportedly said that Hezbollah’s support for Bashar al-Assad was “criminal”. Since early 2013, the Syrian Government has allowed in Hezbollah fighters to aid its efforts in defeating ISIS and Syrian rebels; the latter has enjoyed support from Gulf States since the inception of the rebellion in Syria.
The UAE court verdict, regarding the seven defendants, is expected to be taken on the 18th of April, 2016.
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