UAE Holds 24 Political Prisoners Despite Court Orders for Release
The UAE Detainees Advocacy Center said that the UAE authorities continue to detain 24 prisoners of conscience despite court rulings that the criminal case against them has expired.
According to a statement obtained by “Emirates Leaks,” the center announced that on July 10, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal convicted 53 individuals and sentenced them to prison terms of up to life imprisonment in the case widely referred to in the media as the “UAE 84.”
The center explained that the court also decided to expire the criminal case against 24 defendants, which means that 24 defendants are supposed to be released by the UAE authorities, which has not happened yet, even though the ruling has become final after the end of the legally prescribed appeal period.
The term “expiration of the criminal case” refers to the cessation and closure of a criminal case for legal reasons. Under Emirati law, several circumstances can lead to the expiration of a criminal case, including the death of the accused, the application of a legal statute of limitations, or the issuance of a final judgment in the case.
However, without access to the specific content of the court’s judgment, it is unclear which legal grounds led to this decision.
In any case, the expiration of the case means that the accused was not convicted and must be released, but this has not happened yet.
As reported by the UAE Detainees Advocacy Center, when the Public Prosecution was contacted to clarify the legal status of these defendants and to inquire about their release date, the response was that there had been no updates and that the Prosecution was awaiting further instructions.
These twenty-four defendants belong to the “UAE 94” group and have been imprisoned in the UAE since 2012. Despite their sentences having expired more than two years ago, Emirati authorities have refused to release them, citing the need for “counseling.”
The Center criticized the UAE authorities for their failure to release the 24 defendants, stating that this inaction clearly demonstrates a disregard for the very laws they have established.
It emphasized that, despite the court’s decision to expire the criminal case against these defendants, which legally requires their release, the UAE authorities have yet to comply. This situation highlights a blatant disrespect for judicial rulings and an apparent indifference to the laws set by the government itself.
The Center stressed that the continued detention of these individuals without legal justification is not only illegal, but also a crime called “unlawful deprivation of freedom,” a crime punishable under international and local law, and a flagrant violation of human rights.
Ignoring court release orders further erodes confidence in the judicial system and raises serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the authorities’ commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Al-Marz, a human rights activist, warned that detaining these individuals despite the expiration of their sentences and the lack of a judicial ruling against them violates their fundamental rights and highlights the ongoing repressive policies that disregard international legal standards.
Furthermore, the Public Prosecution’s failure to provide any legal justification for not releasing these defendants, coupled with its claim of awaiting instructions, deepens the uncertainty surrounding their legal status and highlights the arbitrary nature of their continued detention.
The Center concluded that the ongoing detention of these defendants without clear legal justification, coupled with the authorities’ refusal to release them despite judicial rulings, strongly indicates a decline in the rule of law in the UAE.
This conduct not only infringes upon the rights of the detainees but also signals a troubling pattern of the UAE authorities’ disregard for international legal standards.
The Center stressed that the key question for the international community and human rights advocates is how to pressure the UAE to follow its laws and respect judicial rulings. Ignoring these cases undermines trust in the judicial system and raises concerns about the UAE’s commitment to its international obligations. Immediate global action is needed to secure the release of the detainees and restore their rights.
