UAE: UN Experts Request Emirati Authorities to Immediately Release 5 Libyan Citizens Arbitrarily Detained

 5 Libyan Citizens Arbitrarily Detained

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) recently adopted Opinion No. 51/2015, which recognises the arbitrary character of the detentions of Salim Alaradi and four other Libyan citizens, and requests the Emirati authorities to release them immediately. Almost two months later, however, the five men remain detained. While welcoming the WGAD Opinion, Alkarama is extremely concerned over their fate, especially after their recent appearance before the State Security Chamber in the Federal Supreme Court, where they were accused of terrorism-related charges.

On 28 August 2014, 47-year-old Libyan businessman, Salim Alaradi was arrested by members of the State Security forces at the Atlantis Palm Jumaira Hotel in Dubai, where he was spending holidays with his family. Alaradi was kept in secret detention for 130 days, during which he was severely tortured, including by being subjected to long periods of interrogation while being sleep-deprived. After this period, he was allowed to make monitored calls to his family and receive short visits. Between August and September 2014, four other Libyans were arrested in Dubai by members of the State Security forces and suffered the same fate as Alaradi, subjected to incommunicado detention and torture.

In view of these facts, on 29 June 2015, Alkarama sent his case to the WGAD, which subsequently issued Opinion No. 51/2015 recognising the arbitrary character of their detention. In its Opinion, the UN Experts mentioned that the UAE did not "present sufficient evidence to sustain their view that the arrests and detentions were lawful". The WGAD, therefore, concluded that they had sufficient and convincing information that the victims were arrested without a warrant and subjected to secret detention, torture and ill-treatment. After analysing the facts, the UN experts stated that the five men "were victims by UAE of serious violations of the international norms relating to the right to a fair trial" and that these violations are of such gravity that, together with the fact that they are all detained without a legal basis, it qualifies their detention as arbitrary. The WGAD thus called upon the Emirati authorities to immediately release the victims.

Despite the WGAD opinion, on 18 January 2016, Alaradi and three of the other Libyans were presented to the State Security Chamber in the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi for the first time, where they were all charged with terrorism-related offences, which they all deny having committed. The next trial session will be held on February 2016.

"These cases further illustrate that the practice of arbitrary arrest, secret detention and unfair trials by the State Security forces remains systematic in the UAE, as these forces operate in complete impunity," says Radidja Nemar, Alkarama's Legal Officer for the Gulf region. "To end this practice, State Security forces must be put under independent judicial control in order to ensure their respect for the right to liberty and fair trial guarantees of all individuals under their jurisdiction."

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