With the start of COP28 in Dubai in a month,  346 civil society organisations call on the Emirati authorities, UN and State Parties to guarantee an inclusive COP and release jailed human rights defenders in the UAE. The letter stresses the imperative for the organisers to put ordinary citizens, including excluded communities, at the centre of the conference as more 70,000 people gather from 30 November to 12 December 2023 for COP28.

“Climate justice and human rights are interconnected,” said Paul Belisario, IPMSDL. “An inclusive and effective COP 28 cannot be possible without a full recognition of the rights of all participants including those who defend these rights in the UAE.” 

The UAE remains one of the most restrictive countries for civil society and human rights rights defenders and should not use COP28 to mask its human rights record. UAE authorities continue to use restrictive laws including the Law on Combating Information Technology to criminalise freedom of expression and opinion and target human rights defenders, journalists and citizens expressing divergent views.  

In the letter, the signatories express concerns over the detention of human rights defenders and activists in the UAE, many of whom are being held beyond their sentences. Among the human rights defenders detained in the UAE is Ahmed Mansoor, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence. Mansoor has been held in conditions that violate basic international human rights standards, including solitary confinement, since he was arrested in March 2017.

More than 60 prisoners of conscience are currently detained despite the fact that they have completed their sentences. Most of them are part of a group of prisoners known as the UAE 94 who were arrested in 2012 for their activism and sentenced to prison terms of between 7 and 15 years after grossly unfair trials. These include human rights lawyer Mohammed Al-Roken and legal expert Hadef Al-Owais.

“There is still enough time for State Parties and the UN to work with the Emirati authorities to release all detained human rights defenders in the UAE,” said David Kode, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead, CIVICUS. “Hosting an event like COP in a location where peaceful human rights defenders are detained defeats the very purpose of the event.”

The letter calls on the COP28 organisers to set a new precedent in ensuring that states hosting international events lift restrictions on human rights, and release all human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience and guarantee inclusive and equal participation of all. 

The election of Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi as the President of Interpol in 2021 has stirred controversy within the realm of international law enforcement, the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) said in a new release.

Since 2015, he has held the position of Inspector-General of the Ministry of Interior, overseeing the prison system and policing in the UAE. Nevertheless, Al-Raisi faces multiple complaints of human rights violations, including complaints filed with the police systems in France and Turkey, which involve serious allegations of barbaric crimes, including torture and a disregard for the principles of due process.

There are clear indications that Al-Raisi has abusively manipulated the security apparatus of the Emirati state, resulting in the imprisonment of dissidents and the exploitation of Interpol’s red notice system to criminalize his opponents.

Certainly, Al-Raisi’s election as the President of Interpol represents the diplomatic influence of the UAE on the international stage as they aim to establish themselves as a significant player in global geopolitics. However, this influence appears to have been the result of substantial contributions to one of Interpol’s funding sources, the Foundation for a Safer World. In March 2017, this foundation accepted a €50 million donation over five years, entirely funded by the UAE, making it the third-largest external funder of Interpol.

While the role of the President of the organization is primarily ceremonial, without income and with part-time responsibilities, it carries significant symbolic weight and authority. This is because the President presides over discussions in the General Assembly, which serves as the supreme governing body of the Organization. Nonetheless, as revealed in the report provided by Sir David Calvert-Smith UK Director of Public Prosecutions, in conjunction with International Human Rights Advisors, the institution’s election process remains shrouded in opacity, despite numerous appeals from human rights organizations for greater transparency in the organization’s actions.

Furthermore, in addition to the deficiency in transparency and accountability, numerous reports from the United States Congress, the European Parliament, academic institutions, and human rights organizations have extensively documented the misuse of Interpol in recent years. Autocratic regimes have exploited this supranational police force system with the sole purpose of persecuting their opponents, branding political dissidents as terrorists. Criticism has grown regarding the dissemination of information through its red notice system, as it allows autocratic regimes to manipulate the system, labeling political dissidents as internationally wanted criminals.

It is deeply concerning that the institution allows antidemocratic regimes to exploit Interpol for political purposes, targeting political rivals, critics, activists, and refugees.

For these grave reasons, the election of a president from a member country with a consistent history of human rights violations and disregard for due process threatens to undermine the organization’s progress toward transparency, credibility, and independence while respecting the international framework of human rights.

The United Arab Emirates has not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), nor the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW). This unwillingness of the country to adhere to international human rights standards and ensure compliance should be a cause for concern.

Furthermore, Emirati laws related to crimes, cybersecurity, and terrorism have faced scrutiny due to their lack of compliance with international norms. Vague and overly broad provisions have allowed authorities to target political opponents and activists, raising concerns about potential abuses of power and human rights violations. The lack of clarity and precision in the definition of certain crimes has resulted in the detention of individuals involved in peaceful dissent.

This restriction on the right to free expression has had a profound impact on society as a whole, including human rights defenders. The leading human rights defender in the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Mansoor, also known as the “million-dollar dissident,” has been imprisoned for over six years. He was arrested on March 20, 2017, and unlawfully sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2018 due to his peaceful human rights activities, particularly in his social media posts.