Abu Dhabi: Five bloggers, charged with perpetrating acts that pose a threat to state security, were found guilty and sentenced to up to three years in jail, the Federal Supreme Court ruled on Sunday.

Ahmad Mansour Al Shehi was sentenced to three years’ jail, while the other four bloggers were handed two-year terms. In its final ruling, the highest court in the country also ordered the online political forum, UAE Hewar, to be blocked for good and equipment to be confiscated.

The court, moreover, referred claims for compensation for psychological injuries to the civil court.

The defendants — Al Shehi, Nasser Ahmad Khalfan Bin Gaith Al Merri, Fahd Salem Mohammad Salem Dalk, and Hassan Ali Hassan Al Khamis, all Emiratis, and Ahmad Abdul Khaleq Ahmad, who does not carry identification papers — were charged with instigating the public against the government, breaking laws and perpetrating acts that pose a threat to state security, undermining public order, opposing the government and calling for a boycott of FNC elections.

The five men charged under Article 176 for using the online political forum, UAE Hewar, failed for the fourth time yesterday to appear at the hearing in protest against what they claim is a denial of their basic rights while in custody,

The defence lawyers said they were disappointed by the ruling, which is not subject to appeal.

Dr Mohammad Al Rokn, lawyer for the defendants, said he hoped for an acquittal “but we have to wait and see what were the grounds for this ruling”.

The prison term will be counted from April 9 when the bloggers were taken into custody.

Dr Abdul Wahab Al Abdul, Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court, told Gulf News ahead of the ruling that a constitutional amendment should be introduced into the mandate of the court to look into sate security-related offences.

He was responding to a question on what he thinks of legal experts’ argument that final rulings of the Federal Supreme Court in state security-related crimes deprives defendants of the right to appeal.

Dr Al Rokn told the court the accused never insulted or intended to insult the UAE leaders.