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Three Bangladeshis were sentenced to life imprisonment and 54 others were sentenced to deportation, over riots and protests in the UAE.
The Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi has convicted the suspects for gathering and inciting riots in several streets in the UAE on Friday during protests against the Bangladeshi government.
On Friday, UAE Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered an immediate investigation into the arrested Bangladeshi nationals for unlawful assembly and inciting riots in several streets across the UAE.
The suspects were brought to court after an investigation led by a team of 30 investigators confirmed their involvement in public gatherings, inciting unrest, disrupting public safety and promoting such gatherings and protests, including recording and distributing audiovisual footage of these actions online. Several suspects confessed to the crimes they were accused of.
The court heard a witness who confirmed that the suspects gathered and organised large-scale marches in various streets of the UAE to protest against decisions of the Bangladeshi government, leading to riots, disruption of public safety, obstruction of law enforcement and endangerment of public and private property.
The police had warned the protesters and ordered them to disperse, but they did not respond.
The Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi on Sunday sentenced 57 Bangladeshis after they gathered and rioted in several streets in the UAE on Friday.
The court sentenced three suspects to life imprisonment for calling for and inciting demonstrations to put pressure on their home government. Another 53 suspects were sentenced to 10 years in prison, while one suspect, who entered the country illegally and took part in the rally, was sentenced to 11 years.
The court further sentenced them to deportation at the end of their prison sentences and ordered the confiscation of the seized equipment.
