Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Fifty-seven Bangladeshis are now in jail after the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal found them guilty of calling for protests and inciting riots in several streets across the UAE. The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on Sunday (July 21) sentenced the group to various prison terms for the street riots on Friday. Three Bangladeshis were given life in jail while 53 received 10-year prison terms. A Bangladeshi who participated in the riot was sentenced to eleven years in jail. The court also ordered that the Bangladeshis be deported after serving their jail terms. The group were arrested on Friday for unlawful assembly, and brought to trial. The Public Prosecution demanded the maximum penalty for the group, while the defence lawyer argued that the protesters did not have criminal intent and asked for their acquittal. A team of 30 investigators confirmed that the group were involved in promoting and joining the riots, inciting unrest and also posting video footages of the riots online. Police said that the protesters continued to stay on the streets despite being told to disperse. Investigators said that the group organized street protests in the UAE against the Bangladeshi government. The protests led to riots that disrupted public security and damaged private property. ICA/Expat Media
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