Seven on Trial in UAE on Charges of Leaking State Secrets to Hizbullah

The Supreme Federal Court of Abu Dhabi has adjourned to April 18 a hearing in the case of seven suspects, including three Lebanese, accused of providing classified information to Hizbullah.

At a hearing held on Monday, the public prosecution told the court that the first defendant, a public official, handed one of the suspects classified information about the UAE armed forces' procurement contracts, as well as a list of names and ranks of state security officers.

The court heard that another accused, an Egyptian geologist working for a petroleum company, handed over information to the other suspects about oil production in Abu Dhabi.

She divulged names of the oil fields and provided a map that shows where these fields are located, the prosecution said.

It told the court that one of the accused obtained top secrets on the UAE's defense sector and passed it on to Iran. He allegedly took photos of the premises of the interior and foreign ministries, a military camp and state security facilities.

Another member of the network who is on trial is charged with taking photos of foreign embassies in the UAE and airports at Abu Dhabi and Dubai and handing them over to Hizbullah.

All the defendants denied the charges against them on Monday.

Authorities have enacted tougher anti-terror legislation, including harsher jail terms and have introduced the death penalty for crimes linked to religious hatred and extremist groups.

The UAE stepped up security measures since the wave of Arab Spring protests that swept the region in 2011.

On March 2, the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the UAE, considered Hizbullah a terrorist organization.

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