February 2023 – ساند معتقلي الإمارات

27Feb, 2023

Muhammad Al-Roken

Muhammad Al-Roken, born in 1962, is an Emirati lawyer working in the field of human rights, and he is a professor of international law. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D in constitutional law from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. Dr. Al-Roken is a member of the International Bar Association, the former president of the UAE Jurists Association, and a founding member of the “Gulf Dam” organization. In addition, he was a professor of constitutional law at the United Arab Emirates University and author of numerous books and articles in the field of human rights. He was a former advisor to the government on legal matters.
In 2012, Al-Roken was awarded Alkarama Award for Human Rights, and he also received many awards in his field.
In 2011, Dr. Al-Roken was involved in the Third of March petition, sent to the President of the UAE demanding the right to vote and to give legislative power to Parliament. Also, he was defending many activists and others who sufferd human rights violations, such as the “UAE 5” group.
Due to his human rights activities, Al-Roken became a target of harassment and intimidation by the UAE government, which put him under official surveillance for years. Then, he was arrested and subjected to enforced disappearance, his passport was confiscated, and he was banned from traveling. He was also prohibited from giving public lectures at the university and from writing for the national newspapers.

His apprehension and trial:
On July 17, 2012, the UAE security forces arrested Al-Roken, a prominant human rights defender, neae to his house on his way to the police station to report his son’s disappearance. Al-Roken remained subjected to enforced disappearance in an unknown place for eight months.
During detention, many international reports stated that Dr. Al-Roken was subjected to various forms of torture and degrading treatment. He was placed in solitary confinement without a bed or his personal belongings. Plus, he was denied his right to legal representation.
On July 2, 2013, the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi sentenced 56 people, including Al-Roken, to 10 years imprisonment with additional 3 years of probation. He was brought before court as a member of the “UAE 94” group.
It was reported that in November 2015, Dr. Al-Roken was subjected to torture in Al-Razeen prison using loudspeakers a very loud music that led him to become unconscious. Although there are alarm bells cameras in each cell, the guard did nothing. Then, doctors found out that he had high blood pressure and severe ear infections caused by the noise of the loudspeakers. After that, he was placed in solitary confinement with no visits.
Several human rights defenders and friends of Al-Roken, lawyers and activists, denounced this unfair arrest and trial, considering that him their guide in the field in the UAE as he strongly believed in human rights, democracy and a free society. Although he knew he is watched by the state security men, he never hesitated to continue his journey in the field to help those who needed his voice and free speech.
Al-Roken’s trial lacked all the standards of a fair trial, which are guaranteed by the international standards. The UAE authorities extracted confessions from him and other prisoners of conscience under torture and intimidation. Also, he was put in solitary confinement with no visits or legal meetings.
A number of human rights organizations saw the arrest and trial of Al-Roken as a major loss in the field of human rights, due to his dedication and sincerity in serving human rights issues and following up on the human rights file in the UAE.

27Feb, 2023

Nasser Bin Ghaith

Dr. Nasser Al-Meri, an academic and economist, is known for his high educational sophistication, which made him one of the most well-known academic in the UAE.
Al-Meri got his BA in law in 1995 from the Dubai Police Academy, his a master’s degree in commercial law from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, USA in 2002, and his Ph.D in economic groupings from the University of Essex in the UK. This specialization is new in this field.
Dr. Al-Meri is one of the most well-known economists in the Arab world, as he worked as a lecturer at the Sorbonne University, France, Abu Dhabi branch. He is the first Emirati in history to be a lecturer there, which indicates how highly qualified he is. That makes him a professional and a pioneer in his sepcializiation, which is the economic groupings, due to the scarcity of this specialty. It combines combines four disciplines: law, economics, foreign policy and international relations.
Bin Ghaith represented many achievements in the economic and financial fields and was one of the first economists to predict the occurrence of the economic crisis in 2008, warning of its occurrence in many of his writings in 2007 and indicating it beginning in 2006.

His apprehension and trial:
In April 2011, Al-Meri was arrested for the first time on probable case No. 313/2011, among the members of the group known as “UAE 5.” They are five activists who were imprisoned for insulting the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi during their participation in a forum, before they were released with a presidential pardon.
On August 18, 2015, Al-Meri was arrested for the second time, when security forces in plainclothes arrested him from his workplace in Abu Dhabi without charge. They took him to his home to search it, confiscate his personal belongings, and take him to an unknown place.
Dr. Al-Meri was subjected to torture, beatings, and sleep deprivation for a week. Neither he nor his family were informed why he was arrested. However, it was clear later that it was over a tweet about human rights violations by the Egyptian authorities and for his criticism of the politicization of the judiciary in the UAE.
On April 4, 2016, Al-Meri was brought before the State Security Department of the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi in the “Emirati Nation Party” case. He was then brought before the Court of Appeal, in which an Egyptian judge ran the trial.
The court has charged Al-Meri with a wide range of charges, including:
Insulting the UAE and harming public security and national unity,
– Spreading false information to insult the UAE and tarnish its reputation,
– Communicating and cooperating with members of the banned Eslah society that carries out activities, violating the ruling system in the UAE,
– Committing a hostile act against a foreign country in tweets referring to the mass killing of protesters in Rab’a Square by the Egyptian security forces in 2013,
– Meeting with peaceful political activists in Turkey.
These charges are related to the anti-terrorism law if the meetings are with exiled UAE activists in Turkey.
On March 29, 2017, the court sentenced Al-Meri to 10 years imprisonment in accordance with the cybercrimes act and the anti-terrorism law for 2014.

27Feb, 2023

Ahmed Mansour

Ahmed Mansour is an engineer who was born in 1969 in Ras al Khaimah. He is a father to four kids. Mansour is one of the most prominent human rights defender, as in 2015, he won the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. He won the prize in honor of his continued work in human rights despite the campaign of repression against them and other activists in UAE. Mansour is among the few voices who used to integriously document the developments in the filed of human rights in UAE.

Ahmed was known as a human rights defender, especially defending the freedom of expression. During 2006 and 2007, he launched a campaign of support for a website owner, who was arrested with his colleague over social critical comments. The campaign succeeded as both of them were released and the charges were dropped.

Mansour is one of the initiators of the third of March petition, which called for a democratic reform in the UAE. Later, he was imprisoned along with four others over a discussion that took place on an electronic forum, in a case that later became known as “UAE 5”. He was accused of breaking the law of defamation by insulting the heads of the state, was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, and then was released by a presidential pardon. The authorities have refrained to issue a passport for him and banned him from traveling since he was imprisoned in 2011.

His apprehension and trial:

At midnight on March 20, 2017, members of the UAE security forces stormed the house of Ahmed Mansoor in Ajman, and arrested him on orders from the Public Prosecution of Information Technology. According to sources, Ahmed was brought before the Public Prosecution Information Technology to investigate his use of social media to “spread false information and rumors that promote sectarianism, discord, hatred, harm national unity, peace, social life, and the reputation and status of the state, and incite others not to abide by the laws of the state.” It is also said that he was arrested over signing a letter with other activists in the region, addressing the Arab leaders who met in Jordan at the Arab summit, and calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience in the Middle East.

After having him arrested, the UAE security forces stormed his house and confiscated many of his properties, including all computers and electronic devices, some of which belong to his sons. Since then, he was kept detained in an unknown place for a year without having any contact with the outside world. That means he was subjected to the crime of enforced disappearance.

A year later, on May 29, 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment over tweets criticizing the UAE government’s human rights violations and a fine of one million dirhams—about 233,000 euros. Along with that, he was subjected to surveillance for three years, starting after his release. Mansour was convicted of breaking the laws of defamation “insulting the prestige, heads, and leaders of the UAE” and “seeking to harm the UAE’s relationship with its neighboring countries by spreading misleading reports and false information on social media.”

The trial was completely private as media, diplomats, and other outside observers were not allowed to attend. The charges brought against him violate his right to freedom of expression under international law. On December 31, 2018, the Federal Supreme Court upheld his conviction.

On 17 March 2019, Ahmed went on a hunger strike as an act of protest against poor prison conditions and an unfair conviction of his human rights activities. Since then, his health and eyesight have significantly deteriorated while being held in an isolated ward at Al Sadr Prison in Abu Dhabi. In his cell, he has no bed to sleep on nor water to drink. He is deprived of family visits and his guaranteed rights and privileges that other prisoners enjoy. Also, he is not allowed to walk outside or participate in sports.

Considering the danger threatening his life, several human rights voices, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called for his release. Both the European Parliament and the United Nations special rapporteurs called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed.

27Feb, 2023

Everything you need to know about the UAE’s 2023 UPR

The UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working Group will examine the human rights situation in the United Arab Emirates for the fourth time on May 8, 2023. The session will be webcast on the United Nations website.

The United Arab Emirates is one of 14 countries whose record will be reviewed by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review during its next session from May 1-12, 2023. The Working Group had conducted the first, second and third Universal Periodic Review of the UAE in December 2008, January 2013 and January 2018, respectively.

In this report, Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center provides all the necessary information about this important event, such as What is the UPR!!! What is its purpose? What are the things that will be reviewed? And How does this process work?

What is the Universal Periodic Review?

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. The UPR is a significant innovation of the Human Rights Council which is based on equal treatment for all countries. It provides an opportunity for all States to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights. The UPR also includes a sharing of best human rights practices around the globe. Currently, no other mechanism of this kind exists.

What is the goal of the UPR?

The ultimate goal of UPR is the improvement of the human rights situation in every country with significant consequences for people around the globe. The UPR is designed to prompt, support, and expand the promotion and protection of human rights on the ground. To achieve this, the UPR involves assessing States’ human rights records and addressing human rights violations wherever they occur. The UPR also aims to provide technical assistance to States and enhance their capacity to deal effectively with human rights challenges and to share best practices in the field of human rights among States and other stakeholders.

When will States have their human rights records reviewed by the UPR?

During the first cycle, all UN Member States have been reviewed, – with 48 States reviewed each year. The second cycle, which officially started in May 2012 with the 13th session of the UPR Working Group, will see 42 States reviewed each year. The reviews take place during the sessions of the UPR Working Group (see below) which meets three times a year. The order of review remains the same as in the first cycle and the number of States reviewed at each session is now 14 instead of 16.

Who conducts the review?

The reviews are conducted by the UPR Working Group which consists of the 47 members of the Council; however any UN Member State can take part in the discussion/dialogue with the reviewed States. Each State review is assisted by groups of three States, known as “troikas”, who serve as rapporteurs. The selection of the troikas for each State is done through a drawing of lots following elections for the Council membership in the General Assembly.

What are the reviews based on?

The documents on which the reviews are based are: 1) information provided by the State under review, which can take the form of a “national report”; 2) information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures human rights treaty bodies (and other UN entities; 3) information from other stakeholders including national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.

What human rights obligations are addressed?

The UPR will assess the extent to which States respect their human rights obligations set out in: (1) the UN Charter (2) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (3) human rights instruments to which the State is party (human rights treaties ratified by the State concerned); (4) voluntary pledges and commitments made by the State (e.g. national human rights policies and/or program

s implemented); and, (5) applicable international humanitarian law.

How is the review adopted?

During the Working Group session half an hour is allocated to adopt each of the “outcome reports” for the States reviewed that session. These take place no sooner than 48 hours after the country review. The reviewed State has the opportunity to make preliminary comments on the recommendations choosing to either accept or note them. Both accepted and noted recommendations are included in the report. After the report has been adopted, editorial modifications can be made to the report by States on their own statements within the following two weeks. The report then has to be adopted at a plenary session of the Human Rights Council. During the plenary session, the State under review can reply to questions and issues that were not sufficiently addressed during the Working Group and respond to recommendations that were raised by States during the review. Time is also allotted to member and observer States who may wish to express their opinion on the outcome of the review and for NHRIs, NGOs and other stakeholders to make general comments.

What is the outcome of the review?

Following the review by the Working Group, a report is prepared by the troika with the involvement of the State under review and assistance from the OHCHR. This report, referred to as the “outcome report”, provides a summary of the actual discussion. It therefore consists of the questions, comments and recommendations made by States to the country under review, as well as the responses by the reviewed State.

What steps are taken as follow up to the review?

The State has the primary responsibility to implement the recommendations contained in the final outcome. The UPR ensures that all countries are accountable for progress or failure in implementing these recommendations. During the second review the State is expected to provide information on what they have been doing to implement the recommendations made during the first review as well as on any developments in the field of human rights. The international community will assist in implementing the recommendations and conclusions regarding capacity-building and technical assistance, in consultation with the country concerned. If necessary, the Council will address cases where States are not co-operating.

What happens if a State is not cooperating with the UPR?

The Human Rights Council will decide on the measures it would need to take in case of persistent non-co-operation by a State with the UPR. Click here

Can non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participate in the UPR process?

Yes. NGOs can submit information which can be added to the “other stakeholders” report which is considered during the review. The deadline for submitting a UPR report for the UAE is October 11, 2022.

How can I view the results of the UAE periods?

The results of the previous reviews for the UAE, with all the documents to be submitted, are available on the website of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Click here

How do I find out the date of the Emirates’ session and the program of the review?

Anyone can view the program of the UPR sessions on the Human Rights Council website UN: Click here

Where can I find the information and reports on the fourth periodic review of the Emirates?

All information about the upcoming review will be published later at the following link:

Please note that no reports are currently available as the deadlines for submitting a report have not yet passed.

Any information of interest to you in this regard can be found at the following link:

Can I watch the review sessions online?

Yes, all sessions are broadcast live on the United Nations website at the following link:

Where can I find all the information I need about the UPR?

You can find all the information you need about the UPR at the following link and contact the relevant team if you have any questions: Click here

25Feb, 2023

7 months passed since the end of Mohammed Al-Roken prison sentence

Seven months have been passed since the end of the 10-year prison sentence of the leading human rights lawyer Mohammed al-Roken. However, he is still held behind the Emirati bars without any legal basis.

Dr Al-Roken is a pre-eminent Emirati human rights lawyer, who dedicated his life to defending those facing human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

An award-winning academic and professor of constitutional law, he notably represented the group of human rights activists (“the UAE 5”) that was convicted and later pardoned for running a website criticising the UAE government.

For speaking out and protecting the fundamental freedoms of others, Dr Al-Roken paid a hefty price. On 2nd July 2013, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi as part of the mass trial of proponents of democratic reform (“the UAE 94”).

Dr Al-Roken’s detention, trial and subsequent prison sentence are riddled with flagrant breaches of international human rights norms. After his initial arrest on 17th July 2012, he was held in solitary confinement at a secret location. He was denied access to a lawyer and had no right to appeal the verdict. On 11th November 2015, Dr Al-Roken was subjected to “music torture” at Al-Razeen. The security guards purposefully blasted propaganda music in his cell at piercing volumes, leading to him losing consciousness due to high blood pressure and exacerbating his ear infection.

“So long as Mohamed Al-Roken remains in prison, a grave injustice continues to stand. We call for his immediate and unconditional release. Pending his release, an urgent improvement of the treatment of prisoners in the UAE is imperative, so that Dr Al-Roken, and other political prisoners, are guaranteed the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.”

25Feb, 2023

Matthew Hedges accuses UAE of launching smear campaign

The British academic Matthew Hedges, who was wrongly imprisoned in the UAE, has accused the Gulf state of launching a smear campaign against him by sharing medical records and intimate photos

Hedges condemned the document as a gross invasion of privacy including a psychiatric report and photographs of him in his cell.

Matthew Hedges, 35, who spent six months in prison in the country as a PhD student and was sentenced to life in jail before his release in November 2018, says the UAE has even released photos of him in solitary confinement.

He first became aware of the dossier after being contacted by a UK newspaper, who had received a copy of it from the embassy in London.

The document was originally created and submitted to the UN in June last year, after Mr Hedges gave evidence to the Committee Against Torture about his ordeal.

The dossier comes four years after his detention, in which time Mr Hedges has consistently detailed his time spent in solitary confinement, including being forced-fed medications, repeatedly interrogated and being deprived of sleep by being kept on the floor of a windowless cell where the lights were not turned off for months.

He was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5, 2018, as he was poised to leave the country, having been in the UAE on a two-week research trip for his PhD in security.

25Feb, 2023

UAE Ranks 153 in Global Human Freedom Index

According to the Human Freedom Index 2022, compiled by the Cato Institute, an American libertarian think tank, the UAE ranked 153 worldwide in terms of personal freedom.

The new decline makes the Gulf country very close to being among the worst 10 countries in the world in terms of personal freedoms.

According to Cato, the Human Freedom Index presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint.

“This eighth annual index uses 83 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: rule of law; security and safety; movement; religion; association, assembly and civil society; expression and information; relationships; size of government; legal system and property rights; sound money; freedom to trade internationally; regulation.”

Estonia is scoring very high in the Cato Institute’s Human Freedom Index 2022 – that covers 165 jurisdictions for 2020, the most recent year for which sufficient data are available – in every category. Its personal freedom score is 9.28 out of 10; its economic freedom score is 7.95 out of 10; and its human freedom score is 8.73 out of 10. All in all, Estonia has moved up two places compared with the previous index, compiled for the years 2019-2020.

The countries considered freer than Estonia are Switzerland and New Zealand in the Human Freedom Index 2022. The countries coming after Estonia are Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.