Pressure Mounts for UAE to Free Prisoners of Conscience, Echoing Syrian Precedent
The UAE Detainees Advocacy Center has expressed its support for the recent release of tens of thousands of prisoners from Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, offering solidarity with their families who have endured years of hardship and separation.
In a statement shared with *Emirates Leaks*, the center highlighted how this moment sheds light on the suffering of prisoners of conscience across the Arab world and calls attention to their violated rights.
The center reiterated its demand for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience in the UAE, particularly those held in Al-Razeen prison and detention centers affiliated with the State Security Agency, while ensuring their unrestricted rights to communicate with their families.
It emphasized that arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance are clear violations of international law, with grave concerns about the physical and psychological harm to detainees upon release.
The human rights organization urged the international community and human rights bodies to increase pressure on UAE and Arab governments to release all political prisoners and uphold their rights. It stressed that global silence on the issue only strengthens injustice and undermines the values of justice and freedom.
Recently, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, condemned the “horrific reality of political convictions” aimed at peaceful dissidents in the UAE, highlighting Abu Dhabi’s crackdown on any calls for reform and human rights.
Lawlor made these remarks during a seminar hosted by a European legal institute discussing how anti-terrorism laws are being used to target 43 UAE dissidents who face arrest and severe sentences for expressing their opinions. She noted that the UAE’s broad and vague definition of terrorism allows authorities to impose harsh penalties, including life imprisonment or even the death penalty, without evidence of violence.
The UN rapporteur further stated that the ruling against 43 human rights defenders on July 10, 2024, is a flagrant violation of their basic rights, especially as it came after years of arbitrary detention and a retrial.
During the seminar, Emirati activist Ahmed Al-Nuaimi gave a heartfelt account of the systematic repression faced by dissidents and their families in the UAE. Al-Nuaimi recalled his own experience and the case of his brother, who was sentenced to life in prison as part of the 43 dissidents.
He warned that using “terrorism” charges against peaceful democracy advocates poses a significant threat, urging global action to expose and condemn these human rights violations. Al-Nuaimi called on the international community to take firm action in securing the unconditional release of all political prisoners in the UAE.
Human Rights Watch and other international organizations accuse the UAE government of systematically prolonging the imprisonment of political detainees. Despite most sentences in the “secret organization” case ending, new charges were filed against detainees last year, after they had been imprisoned for over 12 years.
The UAE judiciary introduced a new case, labeling the defendants as part of the “Justice and Dignity Committee Organization,” despite this being a legal maneuver to sidestep existing laws. Legal experts argue that the UAE violated Article 19 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which prohibits double jeopardy, as confirmed in a joint statement by 43 human rights organizations last December.
