UAE jails 5 democracy activists for up to 3 years

Nov 27, 2011 |

Abu Dhabi

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A court in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday sentenced five democracy activists to prison terms of up to three years on charges including insulting the Gulf state's leaders.

Blogger Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to three years in prison, while the four other defendants were handed two year jail terms.

Mansoor was arrested in April along with Nasser bin Gaith, who lectures at the Abu Dhabi branch of the Sorbonne University, and activists Fahid Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali Khamis and Ahmed Abdul Khaleq.

They were accused of using the Internet to insult UAE leaders, call for a boycott of September's Federal National Council elections and for anti-government demonstrations.

Their trial was criticised as 'grossly unfair' by a coalition of seven rights watchdogs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch earlier this month.

In a joint statement, they had called for 'all five to be released immediately and unconditionally'.

But the Federal Supreme Court said it would announce its verdict, which they cannot appeal.

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