Abu Dhabi - Ninety-four peaceful activists are due to be brought before the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi tomorrow morning, Monday 4 March 2013, on state security offences. Limited access to lawyers, withholding of evidence and details on the charges by the State Prosecution, no right to appeal the court's decision, detentions in undisclosed locations... Before the trial even began, flagrant flaws in the 'UAE94' case have been reported, recalling the irregularities which marred the case of the 'UAE5' in 2011.
Rami Al-Mrayat, a 25 year-old Jordanian citizen and former employee of the Gulf aircraft maintenance company, was arrested by the Emirati security services on 19 November 2011 at Abu Dhabi International Airport while he was about to return to his country. Tortured and held in secret detention for almost 5 months, he was transferred to Al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi on 4 April 2012.
Today, the human rights record of the United Arab Emirates will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council as the situation in the country continues to deteriorate.
Alkarama was able to express its concerns on the current human rights situation in the United Arab Emirates earlier today, during the pre-session briefing organized by UPR-Info.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities should immediately bring a victim of enforced disappearance, Ahmed al-Suweidi, before judicial authorities and open a thorough and impartial investigation into credible allegations of torture at State Security facilities. Human Rights Watch was joined in its statement by Alkarama (Dignity), the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), and Index on Censorship.
Alkarama and other human rights groups wrote to the UK and US authorities to urge them to intervene with the UAE authorities regarding the unprecedented crackdown against Emirati activists taking place in the country. Since last December, the authorities have illegally detained 50 civil society activists and human rights lawyers. We fear that more people will be illegally arrested and detained as there has been an escalation in the crackdown against peaceful political dissidents and human rights activists in the past two weeks.
On 1 August 2012, Alkarama and other Human Rights Groups wrote to UK Foreign Secretary William Hague to urge him to intervene with the UAE authorities regarding the recent unprecedented crackdown against activists .
Dear Foreign Secretary,
We are writing to draw your attention to some disturbing human rights developments in the United Arab Emirates, where the authorities have launched a campaign of arrest, arbitrary detention and deportation to repress and intimidate peaceful political activists.
On 31 July 2012, Alkarama and other Human Rights Groups wrote to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to urge her to intervene with the UAE authorities regarding the recent unprecedented crackdown against activists.
Dear Secretary Clinton,
We are writing to draw your attention to some disturbing human rights developments in the United Arab Emirates, where the authorities have launched a campaign of arrest, arbitrary detention and deportation to repress and intimidate peaceful political activists.
Two days ago, 26 year-old Syrian detainee, Musab Al Abood, was transferred to an Abu Dhabi hospital as a result of the hunger strike he initiated to protest against his detention. His case has almost gone unnoticed amongst the recent unprecedented crackdown against human rights and political activists in the country and the sentence following an unfair trial of former judge, Ahmed Al Zaabi.
Over the past few days, the United Arab Emirates have increased their efforts to silence human rights and political activists who have exercised their legitimate right to freedom of expression by arresting them on national security grounds. At least 15 activists have been arrested by the Emirati security services in the last 72 hours in Ras Al-Khaimah, Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi following the forced deportation of Bidoon human rights defender Ahmed Abdulkhaleq to Thailand on 16 July, which was identified as a 'very disturbing case' by the UN.
