UAE urged to drop charges against activists
THE United Arab Emirates has been urged to drop “politically motivated” terrorism charges levelled against dozens of human rights activists after holding a secret mass trial.
More than 80 Emiratis, including renowned prisoners of conscience, were accused of setting up or supporting and financing a terrorist organisation during the closed-door hearing.
On Wednesday, international and regional rights organisations including Amnesty International urged the Gulf state to drop the charges, dismissing them as “politically motivated”, and “immediately release all arbitrarily detained individuals”.
An open letter signed by the group said the moves, which became public during the recent Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, targeted a number of individuals who have peacefully pushed for the promotion of human rights in the country.
“Prosecuting these individuals for peaceful advocacy of human rights, while many of them have already been arbitrarily detained for years on similar charges, is a shameful act that reaffirms the UAE authorities’ desire to continue punishing and intimidating any potential critics into silence,” it said.
The organisations went on to condemn what they said was UAE authorities’ “use of the criminal justice system as a tool to keep these individuals behind bars and suppress peaceful criticism or calls for reform”.
The 87 Emiratis facing the new charges include Islamist activists imprisoned in the wake of the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which witnessed calls for democratic elections in the UAE. Long-time Emirati human rights defenders such as Ahmed Mansoor and Mohamed al-roken are also among the group. Some of the defendants facing new charges are in exile.
The UAE, which consists of seven emirates ruled by monarchs, has long been on the back foot over its human rights record. It has been accused of regular abuses, including using the notorious Pegasus spyware, produced by Israel’s NSO Group, to target activists. It has always denied the claims.
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