Espionage case sentence on March 30

The State Security Circuit at the Supreme Federal Court, presided over by Judge Falah Al Hajri, will issue on March 30 its verdict in a case of unauthorised communication with a foreign country.

The court heard the defence plea of the accused, identified as ARA, who is charged with delivering classified information of a public department to a person working for a foreign country.

The defence lawyer argued that his client is innocent.

If found guilty, the accused will be punished under articles (169) and (170) of the Federal Penal Code.

Lawyer Zayed Al Shamsi, Chairman of the UAE Jurists Association (UAEJA), said the amended article (169) reads, ''A punishment of temporary confinement shall be inflicted on any person who publishes, discloses or surrenders to a foreign state or to any person working for its interest, in any way or manner or through any means whatever, any news, information, things, correspondence, documents, maps, drawings, pictures, coordinates or any other thing pertaining to the governmental departments or any of the authorities mentioned in Article (5), when such publication or disclosure is prohibited by the competent authority.''

He added that the first para of article (170) reads, ''Any military, political, economic, industrial, scientific and security information which, due to their nature, may only be disclosed to the persons who are authorised to take knowledge thereof, and which the interest of the state requires that they must remain secret for any other person.''

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