UAE: Palestinian student tortured by UAE State Security forces to extract evidence, now faces unfair trial

27 Jan 2010
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. Following his arrest, Mohamed Mostafa remained in custody and was detained incommunicado in an unknown location by State Security forces for five months until 15 December 2009. During this period, he was frequently tortured, beaten and threatened by State Security officers, until he finally signed fabricated confessions. " We are 10, and you are 1..." the Security officers are quoted as having said "You will get tired and give in to what we want". Sources indicate that Mohamed Mostafa may have been arrested and tried by the UAE State Security at the request of the Syrian authorities, where Mr Mostafa was a student for a year in 2007.

In December 2009, after his reappearance from incommunicado detention, Mohamed Hassan Misbah Mostafa was brought before the UAE State Security Prosecutor. He denied the claims given in the signed accounts submitted by the State Security officers and affirmed that he had been forced to confess during torture sessions. He was then presented before the State Security Court on 25 January 2010 where he once again denied the evidence against him drawn from his confessions and informed the court that he had been tortured. Unsurprisingly, no investigation was initiated by the prosecutor - the UAE has not signed the Convention against Torture and has repeatedly ignored the obligations under international law regarding the practice of torture and ill-treatment.

According to sources within the Emirates, Mohamed Mostafa ‘s first hearing date is set for 2 Feburary 2010. Alkarama fears are that he will be the subject of an unfair trial, during which evidence extracted under torture may be used to extradite him to Syria where he risks further torture and possible disappearance at the hands of the Syrian Intelligence services.

Alkarama submitted Mohamed Mostafa's case as an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Torture on 27 January 2010, urging him to intervene with the UAE government in order to prevent Mr Mostafa's extradition to Syria, where he risks further violations.

For more information or an interview, please contact media@alkarama.org (Tel: +41 22 734 1008).

United Arab Emirates
Torture
Arbitrary Detention