Arbitrary laws in the UAE reduce civic space and press freedom

According to international human rights organizations, the Emirati regime uses arbitrary laws that reduce civil space and press freedoms within its approach to ruling based on repression and tyranny.

The latest is the UAE regime’s recent adoption of a new anti-rumour and cybercrime law that severely threatens and unduly restricts the right to freedom of expression (online and offline) and the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly in the country.

Article 22 of the law prohibits and imposes a prison sentence on the use of the Internet to share any organization or institution, documents, reports or data that would “damage the interests of the state or its government agencies or harm its reputation, prestige.”

Article 43 criminalizes and punishes with imprisonment insult and defamation, which under the same article is considered an aggravating circumstance of the crime when directed against a public servant.

However, Articles 22 and 43 do not specify the maximum or minimum prison sentences for such acts.

Rights organizations assert that the use of such vague and broad terminology and the absence of a maximum penalty enables authorities to impose disproportionate penalties for acts protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The organizations warn that the Emirati authorities will use this article to target journalists and human rights defenders who work to shed light on human rights violations inside the Emirates.

Article 22, initially included in the 2012 Cybercrime Law, has also been used by the UAE judicial authorities to sentence Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor to 10 years in prison, who remains arbitrarily detained to date.

Article 25 of the 2021 Law also criminalizes “mockery” or “damaging the reputation, prestige, or prestige of the state, one of its authorities, institutions, or any of its founding leaders, the state’s flag or currency.”

Article 28 penalizes the use of the Internet to disseminate information or data that “includes offending a foreign country.” In light of the authorities’ ongoing crackdown on Emirati human rights defenders, peaceful critics, and political opponents.

The above articles will encourage the UAE authorities to silence any form of dissent or exercise the right to freedom of expression in the country, which is protected by Article 30 of the UAE constitution.

Rights groups also warn that the new cybercrime law will enable the authorities to stifle the work of journalists in the UAE.

For example, Article 19 prohibits publishing and sharing any content, data or information that “does not comply with the standards of media content issued by the relevant authorities”, and such acts are subject to a prison sentence of not more than one year.

Under Article 44 of the law, a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding six months is punishable by imprisonment for “insulting the privacy of a person or the sanctity of private or family life” by using the Internet or any electronic device to “publish news, electronic images, photographs, scenes, comments or data.” Or information, even if it is accurate and true, with the intent of harming a person.”

This enables the UAE authorities to use the excuse of “a person’s privacy or the sanctity of private or family life” to criminalize criticism or restrict all forms of journalism that may criticize any government or public official.