Abdessalam Salim, 37, and Omar Akbar, 35, two Chinese Muslims (Uighurs) were arrested in June 2008 in Dubai with their spouses by the security forces of the state. After two years of solitary confinement, they were tried and sentenced by the Federal Supreme Court on 29 June 2010 to ten years in prison for terrorism, a decision that they were not able to appeal.
Coalition of 7 International Rights Groups Calls for Independent Judicial Inquiry
Dubai– The Federal Supreme Court trial of five Emirati activists accused of "publicly insulting" top United Arab Emirates officials in an internet forum has been grossly unfair, and the case against them has no basis in international law as it violates their freedom of expression, a trial observer appointed by a coalition of international human rights organizations said today.
Ahmed Mansoor, a well-known Emirati human rights defender, was arrested in April during a wave of arrests targeting those critical of the authorities. At present, he is undergoing an unfair trial with a second hearing scheduled for Monday 18 July.
Alkarama was today informed of the release of Hassan Al Hamadi, the 52 year old human rights defender arrested on 4 February 2011 for having voiced his support for the pro-democracy protests in Egypt. Mr Al Hamadi was released on bail on the morning of 17 February 2011, but is still pending trial.
While visiting the home of an Emirati friend in Ras Al-Khayma, Mohamed Mostafa, 21 and of Palestinian origin, was arrested by UAE State Security forces on 22 July 2009. His brother and friends were also arrested at the same time; however they were released after three months of detention. At the time of the arrests, no judicial arrest warrants were presented nor were the victims told the reasons for their arrests.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has officially notified Alkarama of opinion N. 8/2009 which declares Mr Hassan al Diqqi's deprivation of liberty arbitrary and in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Alkarama for Human Rights is pleased to announce the release on bail of the following individuals for whom Alkarama had submitted a communication to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (see our original communiqué of 15 July 2009):
Nearly 16 months ago, in June 2008, Abdelsalim Salim, 35, and Akbar Omar, 33, two Uyghers, were arrested with their wives by State Security forces in Dubai. They have been held in solitary confinement since their arrest and are currently detained in al-Wathba prison, Abu Dhabi's central prison.
At the time of their arrest they were threatened with deportation to China, where they would have faced execution, if they did not sign false confessions.
Alkarama has received news regarding the trial of Naji Hamdan that a sentence is to be given on 14 October 2009.
Alkarama is concerned by reports from the most recent hearing in his case, which took place on 14 September 2009, that the court is relying on confessions extracted under torture and that the prosec
On 20 July 2009, the second and substantive hearing in the trial of Naji Hamdan, a US-Lebanese citizen whose case Alkarama has submitted to the UN Human Rights Special Procedures, was to be held at the Federal Supreme Court of Abu Dhabi.
Alkarama and other human rights organisations and his US attorneys concerned by this case were present to observe the trial, but were refused access in a last minute decision by the judge to close the hearing.
