UAE: Modern Facade Masks Severe Repression and Total Denial of Civil Rights

UAE authorities take pride in projecting an image of modernity, often using extensive propaganda to gloss over their shortcomings after achieving significant advancements in urban development, services, and infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi leverages this modern image to mask severe repression and the complete denial of civil rights, failing to keep up with progress in human rights and civil society.

This is evident as 90% of the UAE’s population is denied political rights, excluded from electoral processes, and prohibited from voicing any opinions on state affairs or public freedoms.

The UAE 84 case further highlights the concerning state of human rights in the country, raising serious doubts about the government’s dedication to adhering to international human rights standards.

The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center reminds the Emirati authorities that their ongoing detention of 24 individuals, despite the conclusion of their criminal cases, violates Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which prohibits arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.

International Condemnation and Call for Reform

Human rights organizations have raised alarms about the UAE’s rapidly deteriorating human rights situation, particularly following the mass trial of activists and political opponents, which resulted in harsh, unjust sentences.

In a brief statement, the Emirates Center for Human Rights emphasized the urgent need to apply more pressure on Abu Dhabi to respect human rights, given the worsening of the country’s human rights record.

The center also underscored the importance of sustained pressure on Abu Dhabi in response to the UN experts’ statement highlighting violations in the “UAE84” trial, urging the UAE to commit to human rights amid the unprecedented deterioration of its record in recent times.

The Centre highlighted that UAE authorities claim the charges against the UAE84 detainees differ from those brought in 2013. However, the alleged offenses occurred before the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law, making the decision a violation of the international prohibition on double jeopardy and the non-retroactivity of criminal law.

The 43 defendants in the “UAE84” group have faced mass trials. They were recently sentenced to life imprisonment for establishing a terrorist organization under the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law, based on actions from the Arab Spring (2010-2011).

Many had already spent a decade in prison for “national security crimes” under the Penal Code for acts allegedly committed during the same period.

Among the 43 are human rights defenders, including Mohammed al-Roken, who completed his original prison sentence in 2022 but remains detained. Others, like Hadef Rashid Abdullah al-Owais and Salem Hamdoon al-Shehhi, were due for release in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The sentence also includes human rights defender Mohammed Ali Saleh al-Mansoori, who finished his sentence on 16 July 2023 but remains imprisoned.

In addition to the 43 life sentences, 10 other individuals received prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years for “collaborating with al-Islah” and money laundering, under the country’s counter-terrorism laws.

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

The authorities must immediately release these individuals and align the country’s counter-terrorism legislation with international law,” the experts urged.

“These individuals should never have been detained for exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms,” they emphasized, pointing out that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared some of these detentions arbitrary in 2013 and 2023.

The experts further noted, “Many governments are failing in their legal and moral responsibilities by sentencing human rights defenders to lengthy prison terms. Such targeting devastates lives, families, and communities. States must put an end to this unjustified and indefensible practice immediately and for good.

The UAE authorities argue that the new charges are “different” from those brought in 2013, as they now include accusations of “financing a terrorist organization.”

However, since the alleged acts took place before the 2014 anti-terrorism law was enacted, this decision seems to contravene the international prohibition on double jeopardy and the non-retroactivity of criminal law.

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

They highlighted that “the charges, defense lawyers, and the names of the defendants were kept confidential. Defense lawyers were not granted full access to case files and other court documents, with some only allowed to view files on a screen in a room monitored by security officers, without receiving physical or electronic copies. They were also limited to taking handwritten notes.”

The experts further noted that human rights specialists have previously raised concerns about the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law, highlighting its lack of legal clarity and warning that it jeopardizes fundamental rights. They emphasized that the law does not appear to meet the international legal standards of legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination.

Additionally, many of the defendants have faced enforced disappearance, solitary confinement, and incommunicado detention, some for over a year, often under abusive conditions.

The experts confirmed that they remain in contact with UAE authorities on this matter and had already voiced their concerns publicly earlier this year.