The key facts
- The accused are civil servants and conscripts; charges include abuse of power, unlawful exemptions, and falsification of service records
- According to the investigation, official data, documents, and medical reports were forged
- The charges are unproven: the case will be considered by a military court
Case referred to military court
Several civil servants and conscripted servicemen in the UAE have been referred to the Military Criminal Court on charges of document forgery and abuse of office in order to help others evade national service. According to The National, the Military Prosecutor General brought charges of abusing official powers, obtaining undeserved exemptions, and falsifying records of national and reserve service.
What the investigation established
According to the investigation, the alleged violations included manipulation of official data, documents, and medical reports that allowed certain conscripts to bypass established procedures. The charges were brought taking into account the role of each participant in the scheme — both officials and conscripts; all of them will appear before military justice.
The military prosecution's position
The Military Prosecutor General stressed that national service is a duty, an honour, and a responsibility to the state, and that protecting the integrity of its procedures strengthens fairness and equality in performing this duty. He said the prosecution is aimed at protecting national obligations from violations and abuses, and warned that the authorities will hold accountable anyone who helps others avoid military obligations or uses their position to obtain unlawful exemptions.
What remains unknown
The referral to court only means the beginning of the case's consideration: the charges have not yet been proven, and it is the court that will determine the fate of the defendants in accordance with UAE law. Details of the scheme — the number of those involved, their positions, and the period covered by the investigation — are not disclosed in the publication.
