UAE refers 84 defendants to State Security Court

The UAE on Saturday referred 84 defendants for trial on charges of establishing an illegal organization to commit acts of violence and terrorism in the country, the state-run news agency WAM reported.

In a statement, the country’s attorney general, Hamad Al-Shamsi, said: “84 defendants, mostly members of the terrorist organization of Muslim Brotherhood in the United Arab Emirates, face charges of establishing another secret organization to commit acts of violence and terrorism on state territory.”

The statement did not name the suspects.

Al-Shamsi said that all of the accused had a lawyer assigned to them. After nearly six months of investigation, sufficient evidence was collected and prosecutors referred the accused to trial. The statement said that the state security court had begun public trial proceedings and hearing witnesses.