A court in the United Arab Emirates has jailed three Bangladeshi nationals for life and handed out dozens of lengthy prison sentences following protests in the Gulf state.
Some 57 Bangladeshi protesters were imprisoned for demonstrating against their own country’s government.
Amnesty International condemned the UAE’s “extreme reaction to the mere existence of a public protest” on its soil.
Three of the unnamed defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment for inciting riots while a further 53 protesters received 10-year sentences.
Another demonstrator who entered the country illegally and took part in the riot was also sentenced to 11 years in jail, according to the Wam news agency.
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal also ordered the protesters be deported at the end of their prison terms and confiscated of all seized devices.
On Friday, Chancellor Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney-General, had ordered an immediate investigation into the arrested Bangladeshi nationals for unlawful assembly and inciting riots in several streets across the UAE.
The court heard the defendants gathered and organised large-scale marches 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.
Almost 150 people have been killed in Bangladesh after violent protests broke out.
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Students have been demonstrating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs they say favours allies of the ruling party.
A curfew was imposed across the country, with telecoms and the Internet shutdown by the Government to try and calm the situation.
On Tuesday, Malaysia became the latest nation to evacuate citizens from Bangladesh because of the violence, with the foreign ministry saying a flight bringing them home was set to arrive in Kuala Lumpur, the capital.
India also said at least 4,500 Indian students had returned home from Bangladesh.
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