Naim Abbas has been held by UAE on charges of conveying information to Qatar about Dubai road projects.
During a defence hearing on Wednesday, his lawyer told the court that all the information, which the prosecutors allege Mr Abbas conveyed to Qatar, was approved by his managers as showcase for a presentation that dates back to 2012 when the UAE and Qatari ties were “good.”
Mr Abbas’ Sydney-based brother Adil told SBS Arabic24 that the lawyer also demanded Mr Abbas' release on bail, claiming he conveyed the information with the knowledge of his managers and with good intentions during a time when UAE and Qatar ties were normal.
Mr Abbas’ lawyer asked the court to summon and listen to the testimony of his client's two former mangers at Dubai Road Commission whom he considers as key defence witnesses.
In early August, a UAE court assigned Mr Abbas, an Iraqi-born Australian, with an espionage-related charge.
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However, his brother Adil said that the charge “is not related to espionage” as the alleged incident occurred in 2012 when Mr Abbas made a presentation in Qatar about Dubai roads.
“The relationship between UAE and Qatar [was] normal in 2012 and there was nothing wrong in what Naim did,” Adil told SBS Arabic24.
Naim Abbas, who is an Australian citizen, moved to Dubai in 2009 to work for the UAE Roads and Transport Authority.
In October 2017, he was arrested, kept in solitary confinement for interrogation and was unable to see his lawyer, according to his family.
His brother Adil said that it was only in May this year that Naim was able to see his lawyer after he was sent to Al Wathba Prison.
In correspondence from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) sent to Mr. Abbas’ family on Thursday and sighted by SBS Arabic24, it was confirmed that the court is to review the lawyer’s requests to subpoena the witnesses and consider the bail application.
The correspondence also confirmed that Australian Consular officers attended the hearing which was conducted in Arabic and “lasted for 15 minutes.”
