UN official criticises UAE’s adding of four human rights advocates to terror list
A United Nations official criticized the UAE regime’s putting Emirati human rights activists on the terrorism list as part of Abu Dhabi’s efforts to suppress any peaceful opposition and restrict public freedoms.
Marie LeLoire, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders at the United Nations, expressed her dissatisfaction with the UAE’s adding four Emirati human rights activists on the terrorism list, describing it as disturbing news.
Leloire retweeted a story published by the Gulf Center for Human Rights about the inclusion of three Emirati human rights defenders and an Emirati researcher on the “terror list” issued by the UAE authorities, and commented: “disturbing news from the #UAE.”
Disturbing news from #UAE https://t.co/Bu6BxcEZmN
— Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (@MaryLawlorhrds) September 21, 2021
Last week, the UAE authorities announced the inclusion of 38 people and 15 companies on the government’s “terror list,” including 4 Emirati dissidents living outside the country: Ahmed Al Shaiba Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Saqr Al Zaabi, Hamad Al Shamsi and Saeed Al Tunaiji.
There is no information about the rest of the individuals who belong to more than one Arab and Islamic country, if they belong to terrorist organizations or if the goals are political, as is the case with the four activists.
Abu Dhabi repeats its behaviour by emphasizing that decisions related to terrorism are political decisions, as they are issued by the Council of Ministers and not the Attorney General, the Ministry of Justice or the Public Prosecution.
Also, publishing the names without publishing the motives for including them on the terrorist lists confirms the policy of repression, as judicial authorities mention a reasoned indictment when charging anyone, and accusing them of terrorism is the most severe type of accusation.
It is not surprising that Abu Dhabi and the security services use “fighting terrorism” to target activists or organizations that oppose or obstruct its internal and external policies.
The Emirati regime uses the terrorist list as a means of distortion and political revenge against its opponents to perpetuate repression, intimidation, and silencing the Emiratis.
International human rights organizations are questioning how the UAE Cabinet has classified and chosen the “terror list” in light of targeting any opposition opinion or human rights defender.
It is noteworthy that Leloire sent several letters during the last period to the UAE authorities regarding the situation of human rights defenders.
In her letters, the UN expert condemned the UAE authorities’ continued policy of arbitrarily detaining human rights defenders and treating them inhumanely, calling on the UAE authorities to release them immediately.
