A group of Egyptians currently detained in the United Arab Emirates on charges of attempting to form a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood there could face the death penalty if found guilty, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said in a statement on Friday.
The network condemned the arrest, and demanded that the authorities immediately release the detainees and drop all charges.
A number of Egyptians were arrested in December 2012 by Emirati authorities without stating clear reasons for their detention. Authorities recently announced that they were arrested on charges of forming an illegal cell affiliated with the Brotherhood, which is banned in the UAE.
The detainees were also accused of managing a secret organization, holding secret meetings and attempting to solicit other Egyptian expats to join the group. They were also accused of establishing companies as interfaces to back the Muslim Brotherhood, gathering money illegally for the Brotherhood in Egypt and obtaining confidential information that could harm the UAE.
