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Country: United Arab Emirates

While the United Arab Emirates markets itself as a progressive economic safe-haven and cultural hub in the region, with offshoots of New York and Sorbonne University, as well as the Louvre museum, the human rights reality on the ground stands at stark contrast.

Freedom of opinion and expression is severely limited by a restrictive legal framework, including the Cybercrime Law, the Law on Combating Terrorist Crimes and the Penal Code, making critical civil society space non-existent. Human rights defenders and peaceful dissidents face harsh reprisals for their activism, often in the form of arbitrary detention. Torture is systematically practised to obtain confessions that are later used as the sole evidence at trial to sentence individuals to long prison terms.

Regionally, the UAE adopts an interventionist approach within the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, where it consolidated its control over large areas in the south of the country, controlling the seaport, airport, military checkpoints and some official as well as unofficial detention centres.

The use of Munasaha “rehabilitation” centres in the United Arab Emirates

Prison barrier

Background On 31 August 2014, Federal Law No. 7/2014 for the purpose of countering terrorism (hereinafter “Counter-Terrorism Law”) was promulgated in the United Arab Emirates (hereinafter “UAE”). This law contains an overly broad definition of terrorism and lacks legal certainty, criminalising a wide spectrum of acts, including acts which fall under the right to freedom […]

UAE: COVID-19 outbreak puts Al Wathba prison’s detainees at risk

Photo Iron Border prison

The UAE authorities have failed to take the necessary measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak in Al Wathba prison, Abu Dhabi, putting the health and life of prisoners at serious risk. On June 12, 2020, MENA Rights Group submitted an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, expressing concerns regarding […]

Human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor facing new terrorism charges in “UAE84” trial

أحمد منصور

Ahmed Mansoor is a prominent human rights defender who has experienced physical assaults, death threats, and government surveillance. Since 2011, he has been subject to a travel ban. On August 27, 2014, the UN Secretary-General raised Mansoor’s case in the 2014 report on reprisals against individuals who cooperate with the UN in the field of human […]

Amina Al Abdouli, detained by Emirati authorities since 2015

anon

Amina Al Abdouli was arrested at her home on November 19, 2015, without a warrant, by officers from the State Security wearing civilian clothing. She was subsequently disappeared and taken to a secret detention centre where she was subjected to severe acts of torture, including being stripped naked, beaten, blind-folded, bound at the feet, and […]

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