A Qatari physician received a seven-year jail sentence from a court in the United Arab Emirates yesterday for supporting an “illegal” organisation, the UAE state news agency Wam said

UAE authorities detained Mahmoud Abdulrahman al-Jaidah at Dubai airport on February 26, 2013 on charges of supporting the illegal group.

The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi found Jaidah guilty of “supporting the secret illegal organisation”, which it did not name, and sentenced him to seven years in jail and deportation after he completes his term, Wam said.

“(Jaidah) supported the organisation financially and morally by contacting its leaders and trying to mediate differences within the group on administrative matters,” the agency said.

A relative of Jaidah, who asked not to be named, told Reuters in Doha: “He got seven years in jail. It’s shocking.”

Two Emirati citizens were also convicted of supporting the group and each received five-year sentences, Wam said. The court’s rulings cannot be appealed.

A local newspaper said the three were accused of “aiding and abetting Al-Islah (reform)”, identified by authorities as the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and “collecting funds to support it”.

In July, a UAE court found 61 people guilty of plotting to overthrow the government and sentenced them to up to 10 years in jail.

In January, 30 Emiratis and Egyptians were convicted of forming an illegal branch of the Brotherhood and received jail terms of up to five years.

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