ABU DHABI // A Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood politician has refused to accept charges that he insulted leaders of the UAE, the Federal Supreme Court has heard.
Mubarak Al Duwailah, who is being tried in his absence, is accused of publicly insulting Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on Al Majlis TV, Kuwait’s official parliament channel, last December.
Kuwaiti authorities arrested him before releasing him on bail one day later.
On Monday, the court heard that the defendant had refused to accept the charges put to him via the Kuwaiti Public Prosecution. Hence, he still refused to appear at court in Abu Dhabi.
At a hearing of the Federal Supreme Court in June, Al Duwailah was named as a felon after he had failed to appear in court.
Al Duwailah had claimed Sheikh Mohammed was “hostile towards the Sunni doctrine, which is a pretext for Sunni extremists to threaten his life”.
The prosecution said such a statement implies that Sheikh Mohammed was not neutral to all people.
They said Al Duwailah abused religion to promote ideologies that stirred discord, harmed national unity and the peacefulness of society.
He also used the TV channel to spread information that put national security at risk, while also putting employees at the channel at the risk of aggression from others.
It was said he purposely broadcast false information about the sedition trial of 2012, where he said the group had been “framed”.
A verdict will be announced on October 12.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final