UAE to deliver verdicts for 94 defendants charged with coup plot

PanARMENIAN.Net - A United Arab Emirates court will deliver verdicts on Tuesday, July 2 in the case of 94 Emiratis charged with plotting to overthrow the government, a sensitive case reflecting the authorities' deep mistrust of Islamist groups after the Arab Spring, Reuters reported.

Dozens of people have been detained in a crackdown on Islamists in the past year amid heightened worries among officials about a spillover of unrest in other Arab countries.

The trial, which human rights groups say has included "flagrant flaws" in procedure, is seen as an attempt by the Gulf Arab state to address what it says is a threat from the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The defendants say they have been abused, an accusation the state denies.

The Federal Supreme Court is expected to rule on the guilt or innocence of the accused and also to pronounce sentence on those found guilty. Local media reports have said the charges carry a potential jail term of 10 years.

Many of the 94 who have been on trial since March are members of the al-Islah group, which the UAE says has links to Egypt's Brotherhood. Al-Islah says it shares some of the Brotherhood's ideology but has no organizational links to it.

The defendants, known as UAE94, are accused of "belonging to an illegal, secret organization ... that aims to counter the foundations of this state in order to seize power and of contacting foreign entities and groups to implement this plan".

The defendants have denied the charges.