DUBAI — The ruler of the UAE emirate of Sharjah said authorities will not “harm” those arrested for plotting to form an organization abroad, media reported Friday.



Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi said: “Every mother whose son is in custody must excuse me personally... We will not cause him harm even though he has committed a mistake,” according to Dubai’s Al-Bayan daily.



“The measure taken was not a punishment but a treatment,” Sharjah-based Al-Khaleej daily quoted him as saying.

“God willing, this Eid will not pass without everything being resolved,” he said.



“These people were held at airports, or at border crossings with Oman or Qatar. Where were they going? They were running away to establish an outside organization,” he said. — AFP