ABU DHABI // A 29-year-old man appeared before the Federal Supreme Court charged with terror-related offences, including the attempted murder of an American who was run over while out jogging.
The Emirati was charged with premeditated attempted manslaughter after hitting the American man, who was running at Al Bahia in Abu Dhabi.
He is also accused of plotting to commit acts of terrorism in the UAE, including bombing the headquarters of Sky News Arabia in Abu Dhabi and Al Arabiya in Dubai.
Judges were told he deliberately ran over the expatriate with his car several times in May last year with the intention of killing him.
The victim was injured in the attack but survived. The defendant is also accused of seeking to join the terrorist organisation Jabhat Al Nusra.
Prosecutors said he travelled to Turkey hoping to join the group. He failed to enter Syria and instead returned home with the intention of supporting the group from the UAE.
He is also accused of propagating the ideologies of terrorist groups Al Qaeda and ISIL online by posting lectures of their leaders, flags and creating a handle on Twitter to support and propagate their ideas.
He denied all charges against him.
The case was adjourned to October 3 for lawyers to prepare their defence.
In a separate case, two Emirati sisters appeared before the court charged with providing support to terrorist organisations.
The elder woman, 43, is accused of sending money and tools to five members of Al Qaeda, with help from her 39-year-old sister, and sending coded messages to Al Qaeda using a Windows encryption programme.
She has also been charged with insulting the Government online.
The court heard she created accounts in nine public online forums that propagated terrorist ideologies.
Prosecutors accused her of publishing Al Qaeda news in these forums and other information that enabled users to connect with each other.
Both sisters denied the charges. The case was adjourned to October 3.
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