22 October marks the Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor’s birthday. It is the 7th birthday he spent behind bars.

 Commenting on his continued arbitrary detention, Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said:

“As the international community prepares to gather in Dubai in November for its annual COP28 climate conference, Ahmed Mansoor remains unjustly persecuted and behind bars more than six years after his arrest. The international community should publicly condemn this travesty of justice and pressure the Emirati authorities for his immediate release.”

“The UAE has spoken of making ‘voices heard’ at the COP28 climate conference, yet it continues to stifle the voice of this iconic human rights activist since 2017 and the voices of dozens of other dissidents before him.

“After Emirati human rights advocates like Mohamed al-Roken and Mohamed al-Mansoori were locked up during the mass arrests and grossly unfair trial of 2012-2013, Ahmed Mansoor remained the one brave Emirati citizen still working openly for the promotion and protection of human rights in his country.