Rights Group: UAE media fights against political prisoners

Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center said that at the beginning of this month, UAE media disregarded the annual Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders since no media source in the UAE has mentioned the categorization.

Although the UAE media often participates in commemorating all international holidays such as Women’s Day and Happiness Day and references the UAE’s successes, it oddly neglects World Press Freedom Day. One of the most cherished events by the Emirati press is also one of the most detrimental to its job.

The worldwide index indicated that press freedom in the UAE dropped seven places in a single year to rank 138 out of 180 nations surveyed.

The United Arab Emirates’ position of 138th shows that it is among the nations where press freedom is difficult or poor.

The country’s seven-place drop reveals the growth in press violations and the repression of media freedom.

The UAE government muzzles dissident voices, restricts local and international independent journalism, and prosecutes, harasses, and arrests Emirati expatriate journalists.

The report confirms that most Emirati media outlets are owned by institutions with close ties to the government and adopt their orientations. The National Media Council, a government agency that regulates the work of media organizations, does not hesitate to censor content that criticizes government decisions.

The report adds that the National Media Council uses the phrase “social cohesion” and other vague phrases as an excuse to silence any voice that does not adhere to the government’s line. These measures are not limited to the local press but include foreign media publications, which the National Council subjects to the same standards.

The UAE has become an expert in electronic surveillance of journalists and bloggers, who are placed under the authorities’ scrutiny whenever they make a moderately critical comment. They are typically charged with defamation, insulting the state, or publishing false material to undermine the country, and they face harsh punishments and lengthy prison terms.

The UAE government arrests scores of politicians, including journalists, writers, and authors. It detained many journalists for criticizing their government.

The United Arab Emirates has a security mentality regarding the media and freedom of speech, as seen by a series of legislation that symbolizes a sword wielded against anybody who has an opinion on the state’s internal or international policies.

The paper says that since the introduction of the Cybercrime Law (2012), which was modified in 2021 to include lengthy prison terms and hefty fines, Emirati authorities have punished journalists.

The problem is not just that the government controls press freedom in the Emirates but also that the Emirati press plays hazardous roles in propagating the government’s propaganda and disinformation. The UAE 94 case may be one of the most well-known instances where the Emirati press misled the public.

When the UAE authorities detained many human rights activists and academics in the case known as Emirates 94, the official media started planned smear operations against the inmates.

For instance, on September 20, 2012, the publication Emirates Today published a piece accusing the inmates of the Emirates 94 of creating a military wing, despite the prosecution not directing this charge at them. It provides evidence of the military wing’s claim, a photograph of captives playing paintball.

Fadela Al-Muaini, an Emirati author, wrote an article in the Al-Bayan newspaper on January 23, 2013, titled “A group that only represents itself,” in which she referred to the detainees of conscience as a gang and a cowardly covert organization with provocative views.

On January 31, 2013, the Sudanese author Mirghani Mutasim published an article in the Al-Roya newspaper in which he claimed that the detainees use secrecy and esoteric methods to achieve their goals, including espionage, conspiracy, planning physical assassinations, and practising violence, while hiding behind the veil of religion.

Despite issuing the verdicts, Abu Dhabi TV aired the series “Betrayal of a Homeland” during Ramadan 2016 to mislead the audience. The series included a figure portraying one of the state’s founders, late Sheikh Saqr bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the previous ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, for his part in financing “Al-Islah Association” operations.

Obviously, these instances represent just a tiny portion of the misleading information, instigation, and attempts to influence public opinion that the Emirati press used to damage the image of detainees of conscience on behalf of the state.