Concerns Raised Over UAE’s Human Rights Record Reaching New Low

 Human rights advocates have voiced serious concerns over the UAE’s human rights record, highlighting significant declines due to the mass trial of opinion activists and political opponents and the imposition of excessively harsh sentences.

The Emirates Center for Human Rights issued a statement emphasizing the urgent need for increased international pressure on Abu Dhabi to uphold human rights standards, given the country’s worsening human rights situation.

The center emphasized the importance of pressing Abu Dhabi to adhere to human rights standards, particularly in light of recent United Nations expert reports on violations related to the trial of the “UAE 84.”

Although UAE authorities argue that the charges against the detainees differ from those in 2013, the alleged acts occurred before the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law was enacted. This raises concerns about violations of international prohibitions against double jeopardy and the principle of legal certainty.

The 43 defendants, part of the “UAE 84” group, recently faced life imprisonment after being convicted under the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law for establishing a terrorist organization, with charges related to activities from the Arab Spring period (2010-2011).

Many of these individuals had already served a decade in prison for “national security” offenses under the Penal Code for actions allegedly committed during the same timeframe.

Among those sentenced are human rights defenders Mohammed Al-Roken, who completed his original sentence in 2022 but remains in detention, and Hadif Rashid Abdullah Al Owais and Salem Hamdoun Al Shehhi, who were scheduled for release in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The ruling also includes human rights defender Mohammed Ali Saleh Al Mansouri, who completed his sentence on 16 July 2023 but remains detained.

In addition to the 43 life sentences, 10 other individuals were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for “cooperating with the Reform Society” and money laundering under the country’s anti-terrorism legal framework.

“The UAE must ensure that national counter-terrorism legislation does not unnecessarily and disproportionately restrict civil society and civil space,” the experts said.

The authorities must promptly release these individuals and ensure that the country’s counter-terrorism laws align fully with international standards,” the experts stated.

They also noted that these individuals should not have been detained for the lawful exercise of their fundamental rights and freedoms. Some of these detentions were deemed arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2013 and 2023.

The experts criticized many governments for failing to uphold their legal and moral obligations by imposing lengthy prison terms on human rights defenders. They emphasized that targeting human rights defenders with such sentences devastates lives, families, and communities, and called for an immediate and permanent end to this unjust and indefensible practice.

The UAE authorities have asserted that the recent charges differ from those brought in 2013, as they now include accusations of “financing a terrorist organization.”

However, since the alleged acts occurred before the enactment of the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law, this decision appears to violate the international prohibitions against double prosecution and the principle of non-retroactivity in criminal law.

“We remain deeply concerned about the unfair mass trial and lack of due process guarantees,” the experts said.

They highlighted that “the accusations, charges, defense lawyers, and names of the accused remained confidential.” Defense attorneys were unable to freely access case files and other court documents; instead, they could only view the files on a screen in a room under security supervision. They were not permitted to receive physical or electronic copies of the documents and were restricted to taking handwritten notes.

The experts also pointed out that human rights advocates have previously warned that the 2014 counter-terrorism law lacks legal certainty, jeopardizes fundamental rights, and does not appear to satisfy the necessary thresholds of legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination as required under international law.

In addition, many defendants were subjected to enforced disappearance, solitary confinement, and incommunicado detention, some for more than a year, and often in abusive detention conditions.

The experts confirmed that they are in contact with the UAE authorities regarding this issue and have already shared their concerns publicly earlier this year.