Husband Of Emirati Woman Who Killed American Faces Charges

The husband of an Emirati woman who was executed for killing an American schoolteacher faces charges over alleged plots to bomb tourist sites and assassinate a local leader, state media reported Monday.

The state-owned National newspaper of Abu Dhabi said the man, identified by the initials MAH, denied all the charges in a hearing at the Federal Supreme Court. The newspaper said he had both a lawyer appointed by the government and one picked by his family. Neither could immediately be reached for comment.

He faces seven charges stemming from alleged plots to bomb the Formula 1 racetrack at Yas Marina in the Emirati capital, as well as a nearby Ikea, the newspaper reported. He also allegedly plotted to attack tourists and an "American military base," the newspaper said, without elaborating. It did not name the leader he allegedly planned to assassinate.

The state-run WAM news agency also reported that the man faced terror charges.

Alaa Bader Abdullah al-Hashemi was executed in July for the murder of American schoolteacher Ibolya Ryan at an Abu Dhabi mall last year. The slaying of Ryan, who previously lived in Colorado, deeply shook the peaceful seven-emirate nation, also home to Dubai.

The United Arab Emirates, while hosting U.S. military personnel and taking part in military campaigns against the Islamic State group and Shiite rebels in Yemen, has not faced militant attacks like those afflicting other Gulf countries.

Separately, WAM also reported Monday that an unidentified Asian man was charged with sharing details about ship movements with a foreign country. It said the man will enter a plea at a coming hearing.