Qatar Committee Slams 'Unfair' UAE Jailing of Citizen

A Qatar rights body will pursue the release of a citizen who was jailed seven years over links to an Islamist group in an "unfair" UAE ruling, local media reported Wednesday.

A top United Arab Emirates court on Monday sentenced Qatari national Mahmud al-Jidah to seven years in prison followed by deportation after he was convicted with two Emiratis of raising funds for a local Muslim Brotherhood-linked group, Al-Islah.

The Abu Dhabi Federal Supreme Court "failed to implement international standards of a fair trial," said Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri, head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee.

Marri, whose committee is close to the government, said that the Qatari convict's confessions were "obtained under torture... making them illegal," according to remarks carried by Al-Sharq daily.

The Qatari NHRC "does not consider Jidah's case over" and "will continue to work for his release using all possible legal means until it secures his return to his country," said Marri.

Dozens of Islamists have been jailed in recent months in the United Arab Emirates, where the government has grown increasingly concerned about the Qatar-backed Muslim Brotherhood following the group's prominent role in the Arab Spring uprisings.

Amnesty International has called the trial of Jidah and three Emiratis -- one of whom was acquitted -- a "farce" that "makes a mockery of the UAE's claim to be a progressive country that respects human rights."

The Gulf News daily said the three were accused of "aiding and abetting Al-Islah" and "collecting funds to support it."

London-based rights watchdog Amnesty has urged UAE authorities to "immediately quash the conviction" against Jidah, saying the trial was "grossly unfair."

Jidah "was arrested without a warrant, blindfolded and flung into solitary confinement before being repeatedly tortured, ill-treated and forced to sign papers he wasn't allowed to read," said Amnesty's Said Boumedouha.