This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals court convicted 53 defendants, leaders or members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization, in a mass trial Wednesday.

According to WAM, the official Emirates news agency, "The court sentenced 43 defendants to life imprisonment for the crime of creating, establishing, and managing the terrorist 'Justice and Dignity Committee' Organisation for the purpose of committing terrorist acts in the country."

In addition, the court sentenced five defendants to 15 years jail time for cooperating with the "Reform Call" Organisation and advocating for it in articles and tweets posted on social media platforms. The court decided the defendants either knew or should have known its purpose was to take action against the UAE.

Five other defendants were handed 10-year prison sentences and an AED 10 million ($2.72 million) fine for the crime of laundering money with the intent of establishing and financing a terrorist organization.

The court also ruled in favor of fining six companies, impose on each of them an AED 20 million ($5.4 million) fine, as well as dissolving and closing their headquarters, and confiscating their assets. Meanwhile, 24 defendants had their cases dismissed.

The rulings – which are not final and can be appealed at the Federal Supreme Court – drew the ire of leftist humanitarian organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In a statement, Amnesty alleged defendants were "held in prolonged solitary confinement, deprived of contact with their families and lawyers, and subjected to sleep deprivation through continuous exposure to loud music," according to The Media Line.

The UAE, which under the leadership of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was one of the first signatories of the Abraham Accords with Israel, establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, has taken a zero tolerance policy toward Islamists and Islamism. Firmly aligned with conservative Sunni branch of Islam – or kingdom states such as Jordan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia – the UAE has for more than a decade cracked down on activities it deems harmful to its peace and prosperity. It too is acutely aware of the threat radical Islam poses, including Iranian millenarianism, which through its nuclear program and the "ring of fire" it has ostensibly established to threaten Israel, can also be turned against Muslim Arab states, too.

Deporting pro-Palestinian protester

Although the incident occurred at a graduation ceremony at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus in May, reports of the expulsion of a student protester only surfaced Wednesday. The UAE deported the student who wore a keffiyeh and yelled "Free Palestine!" as he crossed the stage to receive his diploma.

Although the UAE has offered material support to the Palestinians in Gaza in the form of humanitarian aid – much of which Hamas terrorists were recorded stealing – it has maintained a careful path between backing Arab brethren and taking too harsh a line against its Abraham Accord partner, Israel. On the domestic front, political parties are illegal and the Emirati authorities have clamped down sharply on any attempts to hold mass demonstrations against the war, the likes of which have been seen both on the Arab street, and obviously large-scale pro-Hamas protests in many Western capitals. Indeed, at cultural events in Abu Dhabi, the authorities have barred people wearing keffiyehs from entering.

"I think the government and the laws of the country don't necessarily align with wanting to create an environment that appeals to the West as well, if we’re talking about freedom of speech and so on," said one student, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, reported The Times of Israel.

Responding to questions from AP, NYU Abu Dhabi said it has been "guaranteed academic authority" on campus but "in none of our locations… are members of the NYU community immune from local law."