Man who allegedly ‘planned to kill foreigners in Abu Dhabi’ goes on trial

A 29-year-old Sudanese man who allegedly planned a bomb blast in Abu Dhabi to kill foreigners, has gone on trial at the Federal Supreme Court, The National newspaper reported.

The man has been charged with plans to commit acts of terror in the capital and for posting ISIL propaganda on Twitter and Facebook.

“He scouted and inspected locations to execute his plan of planting explosives to kill foreigners in the country,” court documents said.

“He posted information that belonged to a terrorist organisation, to promote it and recruit members.”

The man denied all the charges and has requested a court-appointed attorney, the report said.

If found guilty under the United Arab Emirates’ anti-terror legislation, he could face execution, life imprisonment and/or fines of up to Dhs 100m, it added.

The court has adjourned the case to March 14.

In July last year, 30-year-old Alaa Al Hashemi was executed in the UAE after she was found guilty of stabbing American teacher Ibolya Ryan in a mall in Abu Dhabi.

Al Hashemi was also convicted of planting a handmade bomb in front of an apartment owned by an Egyptian-American doctor and of spreading information that “ridiculed and harmed the country”.