Man who faught with terrorist organisations should be shown leniency, lawyer says

ABU DHABI // A man who admitted to fighting with terrorist organisations in Syria before returning to the UAE and turning himself in should be shown leniency, his lawyer said.

Emirati G S M is on trial for joining terrorist groups Jabhat Al Nusra and ISIL. He appeared at the Federal Supreme Court on Sunday.

“My client should be shown leniency for turning himself in. He joined the groups thinking they were Jihadi groups and not mass murdering groups,” his lawyer said.

“He returned to his country and turned himself in to authorities as soon as he realised his mistake.”

G S M is also one of 41 men on trial for belonging to the Shabab Al Manara group that planned to create a “caliphate” in the UAE.

“My client did not deny knowledge of the members of the group, but he was in Syria while the group was plotting their alleged crimes so he can’t be collectively included with their crimes especially with no evidence linking him to their alleged plans,” the lawyer said.

G S M confessed to joining two factions that later became part of Jabhat Al Nusra and ISIL.

However, he denied forming Shabab Al Manara with other defendants, stating that he left the country in 2013.

The final verdict for the terrorist cell was re-scheduled for March 27.