Pakistani brothers deny they were in UAE working for al Qa'eda

Lawyers say the pair signed confessions written in Arabic under duress

ABU DHABI // Two Pakistani brothers who allegedly ran a jihadist organisation in the country and provided aid to al Qa'eda did not have a translator when they signed their confession, which was written in Arabic, their lawyers told the State Security Court.

AkW, 49, a project manager, and AsW, 43, a marketing manager, face terrorism charges, and prosecutors said their organisation aimed to collect money for al Qa'eda and recruit jihadis.

Defence lawyers presented their case this week in court based on four main points. First, AkW confessed that he had links to al Qa'eda under duress, the lawyers said.

Second, the brothers were interrogated by federal prosecutors without an Urdu translator and signed the confessions, which were written in Arabic, without a translation.

Their lawyers also argued that the brothers, even if they were linked to al Qa'eda, should not have been charged here because they were not involved with any domestic terrorist act.

Finally, they said, the materials sent to Pakistan were ordinary items sold in any shop, and were sent with friends through airports.

Prosecutors said AkW sent two laptop computers, two telescopes, two pencil-torches, two Swiss Army knives and a tent over several deliveries to Waziristan in the past two years.

The equipment, prosecutors said, was meant for Islamist militants in Pakistan. A computer, mobile phone and documents were among materials seized by security agents in the raid on AkW's home. His brother, AsW, is accused of being an accomplice.

Prosecutors say they found a message in Urdu on AkW's computer to Mustafa al Masri, an Egyptian alleged to have been the financial chief of al Qa'eda before he was killed in a US drone airstrike in Pakistan last May.

AkW denied any terrorism charges, and said all his actions were done out of goodwill.

He told prosecutors that he sent the equipment to his two nephews as part of their professional work with Tanzeem e Islami, an Islamic religious organisation based in Lahore.

AkW said Tanzeem e Islami, established 35 years ago by the religious scholar Israr Ahmed, had a social relief wing headed by Sultan Hafiz, also known as Sheikh Saeed.

He said he provided medical care to injured people in Waziristan as part of the organisation's relief work. His two nephews had medical training and worked for Sheikh Saeed, he said.

Prosecutors said both AkW and Sheikh Saeed were in direct communication with Mustafa al Masri before his death.

The brothers were arrested by UAE security forces at AsW's home in Ras al Khaimah last April, after a tip-off from the Pakistani authorities.