UAE Attorney General orders investigation of Bangladeshis charged with rioting

The Attorney General has ordered an immediate investigation into Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested after they gathered and incited riots in several streets across the UAE on Friday.

A team from the Public Prosecution has begun investigating the arrested suspects, Wam reported on Saturday.

The state news agency said that the investigations, conducted under the supervision of Attorney General Dr Hamad Al Shamsi, revealed that the suspects committed crimes of gathering in a public place and protesting against their home government with the intent to incite unrest, obstruct the enforcement of laws and regulations, disrupt individual interests, cause harm and danger to others, violate their rights, disrupt traffic, and damage both public and private property.

They also deliberately disrupted transportation, called for and incited these demonstrations, and recorded and disseminated audiovisual footage of these acts online, which constitute offences against state security and public order, and jeopardise the UAE's interests, Wam reported.

Based on the preliminary investigation results, Wam reported, the Public Prosecution has ordered their pre-trial detention pending further investigations. The Attorney General has directed that the suspects be referred to an expedited trial.

Dr Al Shamsi urged residents in the UAE to adhere to the country’s laws and refrain from engaging in planning and carrying out such activities, as they constitute serious crimes with a severe impact on the community, with harsh penalties for the perpetrators, Wam reported.

Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, commented on the Attorney General's decision on Sunday.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Dr Gargash wrote that "the UAE is a state and a system that protects everyone within a model based on law, diversity and safety".

The decision to investigate and refer the matter to trial was made "to preserve our model" and to avoid the problems of other countries being exported to the UAE, he wrote.