Iranian FM: Meetings with Saudi FM were Positive, Constructive

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
TT

Iranian FM: Meetings with Saudi FM were Positive, Constructive

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his talks with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Beijing were held in a "positive and constructive atmosphere."

Amirabdollahian declared Tehran's readiness to hold a joint economic commission session between the two countries, reiterating the necessity of developing financial, commercial, and investment relations.

The FM said the growth of economic relations and mutual investments could help strengthen ties.

In a tweet, Amirabdollahian said his meeting with his Saudi counterpart was "positive," adding that talks focused on "the beginning of official diplomatic relations" and emphasis on stability and sustainable security were among the issues agreed upon and "on the common agenda."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, told reporters accompanying the Iranian delegation that the official relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia officially began.

Kanaani explained that the foreign ministers held two rounds of talks, one behind closed doors.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Kanaani as saying that the two foreign ministers expressed the readiness of their countries to implement basic agreements between the two sides, including a comprehensive accord on cooperation and a security agreement, and they agreed to take steps in this respect gradually.

Kanaani went on to say that the Saudi and Iranian sides negotiated on the expansion of economic exchanges in both public and private sectors and that they underlined that the existing contracts between the two states pave the legal way for initiating and improving such activities.

They also plan to facilitate issuing visas and other related services to the nationals of both states to carry out economic and trade exchanges and the Umrah performers, Kanaani noted.



UAE: 3 Life Imprisonment, 54 Deportation Sentences against Bangladeshi Nationals

The flag of the UAE (Reuters)
The flag of the UAE (Reuters)
TT

UAE: 3 Life Imprisonment, 54 Deportation Sentences against Bangladeshi Nationals

The flag of the UAE (Reuters)
The flag of the UAE (Reuters)

The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on Sunday sentenced 57 Bangladeshi nationals after holding protests across the Gulf country on Friday.
The court sentenced three of the accused to life imprisonment for calling for demonstrations and inciting riots to pressure their home government. Another 53 defendants received ten-year prison terms, with one, who entered the country illegally and participated in the riot, being sentenced to eleven years, according to the state-owned Emirates News Agency, WAM.
The court also ordered their deportation at the end of their prison terms and the confiscation of all seized devices.
On Friday, UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, had ordered an immediate investigation into the arrested Bangladeshi nationals for unlawful assembly and inciting riots in several streets across the UAE, added WAM.
The defendants were brought to trial after an investigation led by a team of 30 investigators confirmed their involvement in gathering in public, inciting unrest, disrupting public security, and promoting such gatherings and protests, including recording and disseminating audiovisual footage of these actions online. 
Several of the defendants confessed to the crimes with which they were accused.
During the trial, covered by the media, the Public Prosecution demanded the maximum penalty for the accused.
The court heard a witness who confirmed that the defendants gathered and organised large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government. This led to riots, disruption of public security, obstruction of law enforcement, and endangerment of public and private property. The police had warned the protesters, ordering them to disperse, to which they were unresponsive.
The court-appointed defense lawyer argued that the gathering had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient, demanding the acquittal of the defendants. However, the court found sufficient evidence of their guilt and convicted them accordingly.