A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sentenced 57 Bangladeshis to lengthy prison terms for protesting against their own government while in the Gulf state.
Three of the defendants received life sentences for “inciting riots in several streets across the UAE on Friday,” according to the state-run Wam news agency.
Another 53 were sentenced to 10 years in prison, and one received an 11-year sentence.
During Sunday’s trial, their court-appointed defence lawyer argued that the gatherings had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient.
Protests are effectively illegal in the UAE, where foreigners constitute almost 90% of the population. Bangladeshis are the third-largest expatriate group.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, over 150 people have been killed and 500 arrested during violent clashes sparked by student-led protests against quotas in government jobs.
The unrest poses one of the most significant challenges to Sheikh Hasina, who has been the country’s prime minister for 15 consecutive years.
According to Wam, the trial of the 57 Bangladeshis heard that they had “organised large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government”.
“This led to riots, disruption of public security, obstruction of law enforcement, and endangerment of public and private property,” it said. “The police had warned the protesters, ordering them to disperse, to which they were unresponsive”.
The court dismissed the defendants’ defence and ordered their deportation after serving their sentences, according to Wam.
There was no immediate response from the Bangladeshi government. However, the Bangladeshi consulate in Dubai advised citizens to respect local laws in a social media post on Sunday.
Earlier this month, a UAE court sentenced 43 human rights defenders and political dissidents to life imprisonment for “creating a terrorist organisation.”
Human rights groups heavily criticised the mass trial, asserting that the organisation was merely an “independent advocacy group.”