Amnesty International Condemns UAE’s Restrictive Laws and Practices
Amnesty International has condemned the oppressive legislation and policies in the UAE, which involve detaining individuals with dissenting views, isolating them from external contact, and curtailing freedom of speech within the nation.
According to its annual report on international human rights, the organization noted ongoing arbitrary detentions of many prisoners of conscience by UAE authorities. Furthermore, it highlighted restrictions on familial contact for some detainees and the initiation of a large-scale trial, dubbed the “UAE 84” by the media, involving more than 80 individuals.
The organization noted that despite the Abu Dhabi government’s claim of establishing “safe spaces” for voicing opinions during the recent “COP28” climate conference hosted by the UAE, no actions were taken to revise its oppressive legislation and policies.
It pointed out that the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change failed to disclose the Host Country Agreement, the legal framework governing “COP28”. This lack of transparency made it challenging for activists present to ascertain the protections afforded to their activities and discussions within the Blue Zone, overseen by the United Nations, upon leaving this designated area.
It emphasized that civil society faced heightened restrictions within the Blue Zone, while outside this area, Abu Dhabi’s policies of banning and criminalizing opposition persisted, fostering an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
According to Amnesty International, UAE law imposes a mandatory prison sentence of no less than 15 years on anyone who “harms the reputation or prestige of the head of state,” and also imposes a life sentence for participating in a demonstration with the intention of disturbing public security.
The organization’s report emphasized arbitrary imprisonment in the UAE, revealing that despite 23 out of 26 prisoners of conscience completing their sentences for exercising their basic human rights by the year’s end, authorities persisted in detaining them under a law permitting indefinite detention for providing “counsel to combat extremist ideology.”
The organization further reported that Mansour Al-Ahmadi, one of the two individuals released in the “UAE 94” case in 2021, was apprehended by State Security Service officers on June 5. He was held incommunicado at an undisclosed site until his appearance in court during the “Emirates 84” mass trial on December 7th.
It noted that on December 7, during the COP 28 session, the UAE began a new mass trial that included 84 defendants, including human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience, including Ahmed Mansoor and Mohammed Al-Roken, who have been imprisoned for years on fabricated “terrorism” charges.
According to the international organization, for the seventh consecutive year, authorities have persisted in detaining Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor in prolonged solitary confinement without sufficient personal hygiene provisions. Additionally, he is only allowed two to three visits annually from close family members, which violates the absolute prohibition on torture as defined by international law.
The Abu Dhabi authorities persisted in prohibiting any form of communication between the detainees linked to the “UAE 94” case and their family members living abroad.
By the end of June, communication with family members, including those within the country, was ceased for at least 11 of the detainees in the “Emirates 94” case.
