Abu Dhabi: A man was sentenced to 10 years in jail to be followed by deportation for espionage and aiding Iran’s nuclear programme, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court ruled on Wednesday.

Reza Mohammad Hussain Mozafar, 48, an Iranian, was found guilty of spying and fraud to smuggle equipment and devices which could be used in Iranian nuclear programme, court documents showed.

The defendant was also convicted of harming relations between the UAE and the United States, through importing these equipment from America and smuggling them to Iran, in violation of the UN sanctions against Tehran at the time.

In a similar case in April, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court had sentenced a 46-year-old Iranian, identified as S.M.A.Z, to 10 years in jail, followed by deportation. He was found guilty of violating international sanctions against Iran when he attempted to smuggle a large power generator and other devices which could be used in the Iranian nuclear programme. Then, he tried to export it to Iran through Myanmar, using fake official documents, the prosecution had said.

S.M.A.Z, the general manager of an oil and gas company in Dubai, was convicted of trying to smuggle the generator using fake documents through Jebel Ali Port in Dubai.

The state security prosecution accused him of violating international sanctions against Iran.

Hearings adjourned

In another case on Wednesday, an Emirati, charged with attempting to join the Daesh terrorist organisation, had his hearing adjourned to August 27 to get him medically examined.

The court heard the testimony of a security officer, who said the defendant published information and pictures to promoted the ideology of Daesh through social media accounts and WhatsApp.

The officer also told the court that the man along with a number of his friends printed and distributed leaflets to promote the ideology of Daesh among youths and urge them to support and join the terrorist group.

“The man communicated with elements of the terrorist group in Syria and booked a ticket to fly to Thailand as a transit point before heading to Syria via Turkey. The defendant was, however, arrested at Dubai International Airport before his departure as he was on the travel ban list,” the witness told the court.

The lawyer of the defendant demanded that he be medically examined because he suffered from serious ailments in the liver and the gastrointestinal tract.

In a third case, two men charged with espionage for the Iranian intelligence had their hearing adjourned to August 27, to allow their lawyers to present their case.

The defendants — A.M.H.R., 34, Emirati, and S.M.A.S., 44, a Bahraini — were accused of communicating vital information on Abu Dhabi Police and a military camp to an agent of the Iranian intelligence.

The men were also charged with publishing false information via social media accounts about Saudi Arabia and tarnishing the role of the UAE’s troops in Yemen.

The hearing in a fourth case in which an Emirati, S.M.A.A., 55, has been accused of espionage for the Iranian intelligence was adjourned to August 27, to allow his lawyer to present his case.

Prosecutors charged the man, an employee of an oil company, with providing crucial information about oilfields to Iranian agents.

In the last case, a 24-year-old Emirati stood trial on the charges of joining Daesh and training in the terrorist group’s camps in Syria after vowing allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.

The court ordered that a lawyer be retained for the defendant after he said he was financially unable to retain one.