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.
On 1 October 2008, members of the police and the State Security (Amn Al Dawla) brutally raided the homes of several people, arresting numerous men who are currently being held arbitrarily.
On 14 July 2009, Alkarama sent a communication to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, asking it to intervene with the Emirati authorities in the case of the persons listed below, who are currently detained arbitrarily and for whom there are fears of torture and ill-treatment:
Members of Alkarama's legal department travelled to the United Arab Emirates from 11-16 April 2009. The purpose of the visit was to follow up on certain cases and to consider the human rights situation in the U.A.E in order to better understand and evaluate the situation in the country.
Hassan Al-Diqqi, an outspoken political reformist in his country through various unofficial associations for over twenty years, was arrested on 20July 2008. On the 4 March 2009, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, he appealed the decision, which led to his sentence being reduced to 6 months' imprisonment. He was released on the 11 May 2009.
On 15 February 2007, Abdullah Al-Alili was arbitrarily arrested, detained incommunicado and later sentenced, in an unfair trial, to three years imprisonment on 1 October 2007. On 8 May 2009, after two years and three months, he was released.
Khalil Abdul Rahman Al-Junahi, who was arbitrarily detained for 19 months in Saudi Arabia and then transferred to the United Arab Emirates on 24 November 2008, has now been in solitary confinement for over 150 days.
Alkarama made in the past requests to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (c
Al-Karama and other Human Rights organizations have sent a letter to American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the current detention of Naji Hamdan in the UAE. The case is of great concern to the international human rights community.
Alkarama sent a communication to the Special Reporter for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the fight against terrorism, the Rapporteur on torture and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention arbitrary about Naji Hamdan, a U.S. citizen of Lebanese origin held in Abu Dhabi (UAE), allegedly at the behest of U.S. authorities.
Mr. Naji Hamdan, aged 43, emigrated from Lebanon to the United States in the 80's, where he obtained American citizenship.
