International Conferences, UAE’s Tactic to Cover Up Human Rights Violations
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) uses hosting international conferences as a tactic to cover up its human rights violations, according to the International Campaign to Boycott COP28 in Dubai.
The campaign stated in a statement from Emirates Leaks that the UAE considers COP28 an opportunity to conceal its poor human rights record.
The campaign highlighted that while the world’s attention is focused on the UAE, we should not overlook the suffering of political prisoners in Abu Dhabi’s prisons.
Currently, over 50 political prisoners are held in UAE prisons for advocating democratic reforms and equal treatment under the law in their country.
All the political prisoners have been arbitrarily detained, and most of them have exceeded their initial prison terms but remain in detention.
In addition to prominent prisoners of conscience like Nasser bin Ghaith, Ahmed Mansoor, and Mohamed Roken, several other human rights defenders in the UAE have been imprisoned solely for exercising their civil and political rights. However, their stories have received less attention and appreciation.
The campaign emphasized that the international community must stand united in demanding their freedom and, if necessary, reconsider the option of hosting COP28 in the UAE.
Furthermore, it emphasized the need to seize every available opportunity to call for the release of all Emiratis who have been unjustly arrested for expressing their opinions.
The campaign stated, “Democratic world leaders who have consistently supported the UAE must confront a crucial question now: why was the country entrusted to host COP28 although its brightest minds are still imprisoned without any signs of their release?”
Abdul Salam Al Marzouqi was among the 94 defendants in the infamous “UAE 94” mass trial in 2012.
This trial followed a wave of arrests targeting 133 academics, lawyers, and students who had signed a petition urging the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Federal Supreme Council to pursue democratic reforms.
All these signatories were peaceful Emiratis who were unjustly accused of attempting to overthrow the government merely for expressing their aspirations for democratic changes in their country. Among the 94 defendants, 69 received harsh prison sentences after an unfair and atrocious trial.
After Al Marzouqi’s arrest in July 2012, he disappeared for 21 days at the hands of the authorities. Since then, he has been subjected to torture and solitary confinement.
Despite serving his 10-year sentence, he remains in detention. His family has not received contact from him for over five months, and their last visit was in 2020.
His health condition is completely unknown. Additionally, the family has faced the UAE authorities’ retaliation, with their bank accounts frozen, pension payments halted, his daughter subjected to vicious online attacks, and all his children stripped of Emirati citizenship.
The continued detention of these non-violent opposition figures, the ill-treatment they have endured during their detention, and the retaliatory measures against their families clearly violate international human rights laws and the UAE’s legal framework.
The UAE imposes severe restrictions on civil space and leaves little room for peaceful expression and activism.
Despite these human rights violations, Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European countries like France, have shown an increasing inclination to cooperate with the UAE, ignoring its government’s grave human rights violations.
The relationship with the UAE has become so normalized that the country was entrusted with hosting the COP28 climate conference in November.
Meanwhile, the authorities continue to extend the detention period for individuals who have bravely put their lives and freedoms at stake to advocate for a brighter future for all Emiratis.
In a recent report by Human Rights Watch, the dire situation of 51.
