Articles for United Arab Emirates

The detention of Ahmed Mansoor, aged 42, well-known Emirati human rights defender, for more than 7 months was arbitrary, announced the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. They also called on the Emirati authorities to provide him with reparation for this unfair treatment. It seems in fact that Mansoor's surprise pardon on 28 November may have been the result of the UN's decision on the case.

Attacks on the freedom of expression worsened in the Emirates in 2011, stated Alkarama in a communication to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression today. The communication detailed human rights violations carried out against whistleblowers from the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) Faisal Al Zaidi and Rachid Bin Abbad who denounced corruption within the company. The communication also described a number of other incidents in the country in which authorities have tried to restrain criticism of governmental policies.

 

Ahmed_Mansour_HRW
Ahmed Mansoor embracing his wife outside Al Wathba prison on November 28, 2011 © 2011 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch

(Abu Dhabi, November 28, 2011) – Yesterday's verdict by the United Arab Emirates' Federal Supreme Court condemning 5 activists to sentences from 2 to 3 years in prison is the result of a trial which does not conform with international norms for a fair trial. The panel of four foreign judges delivered the verdict in a ten-minute oral statement in court, sentencing Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent UAE reformer, to three years imprisonment and the rest to two years each for publicly insulting UAE authorities.
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.

Ahmad_Mansour
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.