UAE top court upholds life terms for 24 convicted for ‘terror’ links in controversial mass trial

The UAE supreme court has jailed 24 people for life after upholding their convictions for “terrorist” links, which had been dismissed following a mass trial criticized by human rights groups.

“The Criminal Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court ruled [on Thursday] to partially overturn the judgment issued by the State Security Chamber at the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal and to reconvict 24 defendants,” the United Arab Emirates’ official WAM news agency reports.

The 24 were originally convicted in a mass trial of 84 people in July last year, most of whom had been behind bars since a similar mass trial of 94 people in 2013, according to human rights groups.

“Following yesterday’s ruling… the total number of convicted individuals in this case has risen to 83 out of 84 referred to trial,” WAM says. Sixty-seven of them were jailed for life.

“The court sentenced the defendants to life imprisonment for collaborating with the ‘Terrorist Justice and Dignity Organisation’, and providing funds to the Al-Islah,” WAM adds, referring to a group with ties to the outlawed Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

The original 2013 trial of the so-called UAE 94 followed a round-up of dozens of government critics, including activists, lawyers, students and teachers in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings around the region. It was strongly criticized by human rights groups.

In March, the UAE rejected the appeals of 53 of those convicted in the July 2024 trial.

The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court overturned the convictions of the other 24 defendants, but the attorney general sought to reverse that decision, arguing it had been “legally flawed.”

Prominent activist Ahmed Mansoor and academic Nasser bin Ghaith were among those tried last July, Human Rights Watch says.

The UAE, a federation of seven absolute monarchies, prohibits criticism of its rulers and any speech that is deemed likely to spark social unrest.

The Emirati courts have convicted dozens of citizens and Egyptian expats of forming clandestine cells, including Al-Islah.