A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced 57 Bangladeshi nationals to lengthy prison terms for staging protests against the Bangladeshi government and supporting ongoing protests, according to state media reports on Monday.
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal handed down life sentences to three individuals, while 53 Bangladeshi nationals received 10-year prison terms and one was sentenced to 11 years.
After completing their sentences, they will be deported, as stated by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The court found the defendants guilty of “gathering and inciting riots” during protests that took place on Friday.
The protests were in response to recent decisions made by the Bangladeshi government, leading to large scale marches in several UAE streets.
The official report noted that these protests disrupted public security, obstructed law enforcement, and endangered both public and private property. Despite police warnings to disperse, the protesters remained unresponsive, leading to their arrest.
The protests in the UAE were linked to the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, where students have been demonstrating against a government quota system that reserves over 50% of civil service jobs.
The quotas include 30% for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 war of independence. Amid stagnant job growth and high youth unemployment, the reinstatement of this quota system has triggered widespread protests and violent crackdowns by the government.
In Bangladesh, more than 150 people have been killed and 500 arrested during these demonstrations, posing a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Protest leaders have demanded the lifting of a nationwide curfew and the restoration of internet services, giving the government a 48-hour ultimatum. They also seek the resignation of officials responsible for the violence against demonstrators.
Amnesty International condemned the UAE’s response, calling it an “extreme reaction to the mere existence of a public protest.”
Devin Kenney, Amnesty International’s UAE researcher, highlighted that this was the second mass trial in the UAE this month where large numbers of individuals received harsh sentences for nonviolent protests. Kenney criticized the UAE’s prioritization of suppressing dissent over addressing human rights concerns.
“Huge prison terms literally overnight, on charges involving no element of violence. The extreme reaction to the mere existence of a public protest on Emirati soil shows that the state places great priority on suppressing any manifestation of dissent in the country,” Kenney was quoted as saying by AFP.
The court-appointed defense lawyer argued that the protests had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient. However, the court rejected this defense and upheld the convictions.
The Bangladeshi government has not yet commented on the sentencing, but its consulate in Dubai has urged citizens to respect local laws in a recent social media post.
