Abdullah Awad Salim Al Shamsi, was attending high school in the United Arab Emirates when he was arrested by state security forces, without a warrant, at 11 a.m. on August 18, 2018. Al Shamsi was subsequently held incommunicado in a secret detention facility for over six months, before being transferred to Al Wathba prison, Abu Dhabi.
During Al Shamsi’s incommunicado detention, he was held in a room with no windows and subjected to torture in order to extract a confession to espionage on behalf of Qatar. It is believed that under the duress of torture, Al Shamsi made confessions which incriminate himself and his uncle, who was arrested one month after Al Shamsi.
Since his transfer to Al Wathba prison, Al Shamsi has been able to receive weekly visits from his parents. However, Al Shamsi has not been able to meet with his lawyer, nor receive consular assistance from the Omani embassy. It is believed that Al Shamsi spent over one year in detention before being formally charged and referred to trial.
In April 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak started at al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi where Al Shamsi was detained. Over 110 inmates, including those that tested positive or were showing symptoms, were not provided appropriate health care, and continued to be detained in poor conditions and in overcrowded cells. Furthermore, no masks, gloves, sanitiser, or additional soap supplies were distributed to inmates, putting them at a very high risk of infection.
On May 1, 2020, after MENA Rights Group submitted a request for an opinion, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) adopted Opinion 34/2020. In its Opinion, the WGAD stated that “the authorities must invoke that legal basis and apply it to the circumstances of the case through an arrest warrant, which was not implemented in the present case”. The Working Group added that “Mr. Al Shamsi was not afforded the right to take proceedings before a court so that it may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his detention in accordance with articles 3, 8 and 9 of the Universal Declaration and principles 11, 32 and 37 of the Body of Principles”. In light of this, the WGAD emphasised that Al Shamsi was being detained arbitrarily and called on the authorities to release him immediately.
In addition, the WGAD noted that throughout its 29-year history, there have been about 26 cases where the United Arab Emirates was found to have violated its international human rights obligations. The WGAD subsequently expressed its concern that “this indicates a systemic problem with arbitrary detention in the United Arab Emirates, which amounts to a serious violation of international law,” warning that under certain circumstances, such violations may constitute crimes against humanity.
On May 6, 2020, Al Shamsi was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals in relation to charges of “damage of national or public interest” and “attempted communication with a foreign state”. The sentence was confirmed by the Federal Supreme Court on August 10, 2020.
On May 28, 2020, Al Shamsi tested positive for COVID-19. His mother was not officially informed, as she had been prevented from communicating with him by phone for several months and denied visits since the outbreak of COVID-19. The day of the test, his mother went to the prison to enquire about his condition, but the prison authorities denied that he was sick. They then forced her to leave and refused to provide her with further details.
Following the results, he and other infected detainees were isolated in another wing of the prison. However, he was not transferred to a hospital and was denied appropriate healthcare.
Al Shamsi is suffering from a malignant tumour in his remaining kidney. Years prior to his arrest, he had his other kidney removed and was subsequently treated for cancer. Al Shamsi also suffers from a psychiatric condition. According to his family, his condition has recently worsened and they remain concerned about his well-being.
On June 10, 2020, MENA Rights Group submitted an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on the right to health regarding the COVID-19 situation in al-Wathba prison.
On April 17, 2021, the Emirati authorities released Abdullah Al Shamsi as part of an amnesty before deporting him to Oman.
On September 10, 2023, Al Shamsi learned that he had been placed under a travel ban when he was blocked from travelling to Malaysia.
On July 13, 2025, Al Shamsi was prevented from travelling to Turkey with his family by Internal Security officers. The officers claimed that they feared he would not return once he left the country, and that he would become a critic of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and expose the violations to which he was subjected during his arbitrary detention. Two days later, he went to a police station to enquire about the travel ban and to request a meeting with the Internal Security officers. However, they instead confiscated his passport for 15 days as punishment. He has still not been informed as to the legal basis of the travel ban, or when it will expire.
Since his deportation back to Oman, Al Shamsi has suffered discriminatory restrictions, despite the non-conviction certificate from the Oman police proving that there are no active cases against him. In addition to the travel ban, he has been prevented from working and from completing his legal studies as he was forced to pay large amounts of money to graduate.
Al Shamsi and his family are subjected to regular threats due in part to Al Shamsi’s ongoing activism on social media.
Al Shamsi is suffering from a diagnosed depression and is living alone, with no source of income and increasing student debts, and since 2021 has been separated from his family, who now live in the UAE.
