ABU DHABI // A lawyer for the Interior Ministry presented presidential decrees in court today authorising the withdrawal of citizenship from seven men accused of posing a security threat to the country.
Sarah Al Shamsi filed the seven decrees with the Federal Court, where the ministry is defending a lawsuit by the men.
Mohammed Al Roken, the men's lawyer, had argued that the citizenship withdrawals were improper because there had been no presidential decree authorising them.
After the documents were presented today, Dr Al Roken asked for an adjournment while he reconsidered his clients' case.
"We ask for an adjournment to enter the source of the decree as an element in the lawsuit since the flow of the trial has been changed," he said.
Ms Al Shamsi objected, on the ground that judges had said previously there would be no further adjournments.
The court scheduled a verdict for May 31 but said that, until then, Dr Al Roken would be allowed to present arguments in writing and the ministry would be given three days to reply.
The ministry says it has the power to withdraw the men's passports because they are naturalised citizens, but the men say they were born Emirati.
hdajani@thenational.ae
