The case hinges on Articles 117 and 180 of the Federal Penal Code.
Article 180 provides, on conviction, for three possible sentences, depending on the charges.
A person convicted of founding, organising or running a group or a branch of a group that seeks to overthrow the political system or promote such an aim, using force to achieve it, can be sentenced to 15 years in jail; a person convicted of membership of such a group can be jailed for three to five years; and a person convicted of directly or indirectly obtaining funds from any group or individual outside the country to promote the group and its goals can be sentenced to between one month and three years, and/or be fined.
Article 117 provides that a person sentenced to imprisonment for between three and 15 years can be given parole for no more than five years. For a person sentenced to more than one year, the period on parole may not exceed the time in prison.
To obtain a conviction, prosecutors must prove that a secret organisation has the intention to change the political system, that those accused are members of that organisation and/or have received funds for that purpose, and are aware of the group’s nature and purpose.
In this case, the accused deny all the charges, or having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Some say they were unaware of the charges against them, and that their activities were limited to the promotion of Islam and its teachings.
Prosecutors say they have evidence the accused formed a secret organisation with its own committees, a shura council for men and another for women, a human resources committee and administrative offices.
It is important to distinguish between Al Islah society, a legal organisation not implicated in the trial, and Dawat Al Islah, a religious and political movement affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
Most of the accused are members of Al Islah society, but prosecutors say they all formed a parallel organisation modelled on the Muslim Brotherhood that is hierarchical, and has its own goals and ideology different from that of Al Islah.
Prosecutors say the accused formed a board of directors for this parallel organisation. Al Islah society has had a board of directors under the Ministry of Social Affairs for two decades.
hhassan@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East