A court in the UAE has sentenced 57 Bangladeshis to severe prison terms for holding protest against their own government.
Three anonymous defendants were sentenced to life in prison for “inciting riots in several streets across the UAE on Friday,” while 53 others received 10-year sentences and one was sentenced to 11 years, according to the state-run Wam news agency.
It referenced their court-appointed defence lawyer, who argued during Sunday’s trial that the gatherings had no criminal purpose and that the evidence was inadequate.
Protests are practically outlawed in the UAE, where foreigners account for about 90% of the population. Bangladeshis are the third-largest expatriate community.
During days of violence in Bangladesh spurred by student-led protests over government job quotas, more than 150 people were killed and 500 were jailed.
The disturbance is one of the most critical problems that Sheikh Hasina has encountered in her 15-year tenure as prime minister.
According to Wam, the trial of the 57 Bangladeshis found that they had “organised large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government.”.
“This led to riots, disruption of public security, obstruction of law enforcement, and endangerment of public and private property,” it said. “The police had warned the protesters, ordering them to disperse, to which they were unresponsive.”.
According to Wam, the court rejected the defendants’ defence and ordered that they be deported after serving their sentences.
There was no quick response from Bangladesh’s authorities. However, its consulate in Dubai asked citizens to follow local rules in a social media statement on Sunday.
Earlier last month, a UAE court sentenced 43 human rights campaigners and political dissidents to life in prison for “creating a terrorist organisation.”
Human rights organisations slammed the mass trial, claiming that the organisation was an “independent advocacy group.”.
