Court rules Interior Ministry lawful withdrawing citizenship of seven

Seven men have failed in their bid to overturn a decision by the Interior Ministry to withdraw their citizenship.

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ABU DHABI // Seven men have failed in their bid to overturn a decision by the Ministry of Interior to withdraw their citizenship after they were accused of posing a security threat to the country.

The Federal Court yesterday dismissed their claim that the decision was against the law and unconstitutional.

In issuing its ruling, the court said the lawsuit had asked to reverse an administrative decision by the ministry, but that decision was executive, not administrative.

“An administrative decision changes the legal post of a person, such as removing him from a post or assigning him to a job,” said the court.

“An executive decision does not go under administrative judiciary.”

Mohammed Al Roken, representing the seven men, said an appeal would be lodged.

In an earlier hearing, the ministry’s lawyers presented presidential decrees formally withdrawing the men’s citizenship.

The ministry said it had the power to withdraw the men's passports because they were naturalised citizens, but the men insisted they were born Emirati.

hdajani@thenational.ae