UAE must release all political prisoners before hosting COP28

On 8 May, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva conducted its fourth assessment of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) human rights record. The UAE delegation attempted to paint an extremely positive picture, claim The country’s institutions “respect human rights” and “work to promote a culture of peace, tolerance, coexistence and dialogue”. The more than 50 political prisoners currently held in UAE prisons tell a very different story.

All of these political prisoners have been detained arbitrarily, and most of them have served sentences that far exceeded their original sentences. Their only demands are for democratic reform and equality within and before the laws of their country.

Some of those detainees included prominent prisoners of conscience Nasser bin Ghaith, Ahmed Mansour and Mohammad Roken. However, in addition to these high-profile cases, there are many other human rights defenders in the UAE who have also been detained for exercising their civil and political rights, but their stories are less well known.

Abdul Salam Marzucci One of 94 defendants to appear in federal court Supreme Court in the notorious “Emirates 94” Mass trial in 2012. The trial follows a campaign of mass arrests against 133 academics, lawyers and students who signed a petition calling for democratic reforms by the UAE President and the Federal Supreme Council. All of the signatories were peaceful Emiratis who were subsequently falsely accused of trying to overthrow the government simply because they expressed a desire to bring about democratic reforms in their country. Of these 94 persons, 69 were sentenced to heavy sentences following grossly unfair trials.

authorities Disappeared Al Marzooqi was held for 21 days after his arrest in July 2012. Since then he has been tortured, held in solitary confinement and is now in detention even after serving a 10-year sentence. His family has not heard from him for more than five months, and his last visit was in 2020. The state of his health is completely unknown. The family itself has faced reprisals from UAE authorities. Their bank accounts and pensions were frozen, his daughter was maliciously attacked online and all his children were stripped of their UAE citizenship.

The continued imprisonment of these peaceful dissidents, the ill-treatment they suffered in detention, and reprisals against their families violate international human rights law and the UAE’s own laws. Civic space is almost non-existent in the UAE.

Nevertheless, in the past few years, Western countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and many European countries have enjoyed France, preferring to cooperate with the UAE and disregard the serious human rights violations committed by its government. Relations with the UAE have been so normalized that it has been entrusted with hosting November’s COP28 climate conference.

At the same time, the authorities have continued to extend the detention period of individuals who dare to put their lives and liberties at risk in order to secure a better future for all Emiratis.Human Rights Watch recently published a Report Highlights plight of 51 sentenced prisoners extended indefinitelygrossly disregarding guarantees of a fair trial.

On 1 May, more than 40 human rights NGOs signed the petition Demand the release of all political prisoners from the UAE government. The petition also sheds light on how UAE authorities continue to prevent UN experts from conducting domestic research and visiting prisons and detention facilities.

More than 100 UN member states participated in the review in geneva. Although most of the language used by the delegates is fraternal323 suggestions Questions on how the UAE is improving its human rights record. Belgium, the US and the Netherlands have all explicitly called on the UAE to release prisoners currently being held on arbitrary grounds and beyond their sentences. Switzerland, the United States, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom have all called for the right to free speech to be guaranteed. You wouldn’t expect a country that “respects human rights” to receive so many recommendations during a human rights review.

The UAE sees the review and COP28 as yet another opportunity for them to whitewash their poor human rights record. While the eyes of the world are on the UAE, the plight of political prisoners should not be forgotten. Every opportunity must be used to push for the release of all Emiratis who have been arbitrarily detained solely for expressing their views. Democratic leaders who staunchly support the UAE would do well to question why the country’s best minds continue to suffer in prison with no end in sight.

Jenan Al Marzooqi is the daughter of Abdulsalam Mohammed Darwish Al-Marzooqi, a prisoner of conscience in the United Arab Emirates.

Falah Sayed is a human rights officer middle east and north africa rights group.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.