UN Report Highlights Retaliatory Actions Against Human Rights Activists in the UAE

A UN report emphasizes retaliatory actions against human rights activists in the UAE, including those who collaborate with the UN and its representatives, amid the oppressive system enforced by Abu Dhabi.
The annual report by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights sheds light on allegations of intimidation and retaliatory actions during the reporting period from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, as well as updates on retaliatory actions documented in earlier reports.
In April, the MENA Rights Group delivered a memorandum to the UN Secretary-General, drawing attention to new instances of retaliatory actions and offering updates on previously monitored cases.
Throughout the reporting period, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN special procedures expressed concerns regarding the mass trials of 84 individuals, referred to as the UAE 84, along with wider patterns of repression against opposition and limitations on civil space in the country.
The list of the accused in the UAE 84 includes victims of intimidation and retaliation for their collaboration with the UN, notably Mohammed Al-Mansoori and Ahmed Mansoor, whose cases have been referenced multiple times.
On July 10, 2024, the Abu Dhabi Appeals Court sentenced four individuals to 15 years in prison and 40 others to life imprisonment, out of the 44 accused who were convicted. Al-Mansoori and Mansoor were included among those charged.
Several months ago, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, denounced the “extensive pattern of repression against dissent and civil space in the UAE” in light of the ongoing mass trial of numerous opinion activists and opposition members.
In a statement to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk called on the UAE government to amend local laws to align with international human rights recommendations.
Turk stated that the UAE is conducting another mass trial based on anti-terrorism legislation that contradicts human rights law.
He pointed out that in December, UAE authorities brought new charges against 84 individuals, including human rights defenders, journalists, and others already in prison, noting that many were close to completing their sentences or had been arbitrarily detained after their sentences ended.
Turk stated that the new trial is the second largest mass trial in the history of the UAE, coming after the “UAE 94” case from 2012, and noted that it features many of the same defendants.
It is worth noting that Turk’s comments about the UAE came during his speech at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, where he reviewed major human rights violations around the world.