Network distributed terrorist recruiting videos, court told

Eight men charged with distributing 'terrorism recruitment videos' and raising money to fund violence deny the charges.

Eight men, seven of them Emiratis, were involved in a network that distributed "terrorism recruitment videos" and raised money to fund violence, according to charges laid before the Federal Supreme Court yesterday. Prosecutors said all eight men worshipped at a mosque in Khor Fakkan. Videos were downloaded and distributed, and money was given to an Afghan in the knowledge that it would be used for terrorist activity, court documents said. The documents did not make clear where such acts were to be committed.

Based on evidence taken from computers and documents that were seized during the men's arrests, the State Security Public Prosecution has charged two of them with financing terrorism and the other six with seeking to promote terrorism. At yesterday's initial hearing, the men pleaded not guilty and Justice Khalifa al Muhairi continued proceedings behind closed doors. Court documents said all the men were present at the mosque for 10 consecutive days at the end of Ramadan last year.

This is a common practice known as I'atekaf, in which Muslims spend 10 days in a mosque to isolate themselves and devote their time to reading the Quran. The defendants were arrested last October, when police raided several homes in the Sharjah town and arrested 21 men on suspicion of terrorism. Nineteen of those arrested were Emiratis, one was Egyptian and one Afghan. Prosecutors dropped charges against 13 of the men. The Egyptian, whose identity is not known, was deported without charge. The Afghan was the eighth defendant in court yesterday.

Six of the men were kept in custody after the hearing and two were remanded on bail. Under the constitution, the Federal Supreme Court is charged with prosecuting all matters of state security, including terrorism, across the emirates. @Email:[e-mail]