A trade and touris­m hub, the UAE is a monarc­hy which tolera­tes little public critic­ismDUBAI: A court in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi sentenced 13 people to jail terms on terrorism and spying charges including joining Islamic State, the state news agency WAM reported. Security forces ‘foil terror bid in Balochistan’Four defendants convicted of promoting terrorist organizations in the UAE received ten-year terms, and three others between 1 1/2 and seven years for allegedly joining Islamic State and al Qaeda’s former branch in Syria. The remaining cases alleged spreading false news about the UAE and showing a lack of respect for national symbols. All of the defendants appeared to originate from Arab countries other than the UAE. The UAE sentenced five Emirati citizens to death for joining Islamic State last year.

Source: The Express Tribune December 27, 2017 10:07 UTC