A small group of demonstrators staged a very rare protest in Dubai on Saturday at the COP28 UN climate summit site to demand the release of pro-democracy activists imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates and 

About 25 activists took part in the protest, holding up pictures of Emirati prisoners Ahmed Mansoor and Mohamed al-Siddiq and Egyptian-British political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.

“These names have never been said out loud in the UAE, and the release has never been publicly demanded in this way,” Saudi Arabia and UAE researcher at HRW Joey Shea said.

Human Rights Watch described the protest as historic for taking place in the UAE, which tolerates little public dissent and bans organized groups such as political parties and labor unions.

However, Amnesty International affirmed that they were only allowed to raise the pictures of Emirati human rights defenders Ahmed Mansoor and Mohamed al-Siddiq.

Photos and names of the remaining political prisoners were prevented to be raised during the event.

As a condition of hosting COP28, the UAE had agreed to allow protests to take place there under UN guidelines that require any demonstrations to be approved in advance and limited to the summit site.

Most protests have taken place within the summit’s “blue zone” area which is under UN control and where local laws do not apply.

“In the spirit of inclusivity, peaceful assemblies in designated areas have been and continue to be welcomed,” an Emirati official said.

Unlike at past UN climate talks that sparked huge protest rallies, including 2021’s COP26 in Glasgow and 2015’s COP21 in Paris, there have been no demonstrations outside the venue.