UAE: Former UN official urges release of activist Ahmed Mansoor

A former UN official on Wednesday referred to as on the United Arab Emirates to launch the outstanding pro-democracy and free speech activist Ahmed Mansoor from jail.

Mary Robinson, the previous UN human rights commissioner, mentioned that Mansoor “is regarded by the human rights group as a courageous human rights defender,” throughout a speech addressing a local weather occasion on the Expo 2020 honest in Dubai.

Mansoor, a 51-year-old Emirati engineer, poet, and father of 4 was arrested in March 2017 in relation to his human rights advocacy within the UAE.

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In January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed a damning report detailing new info relating to the situations underneath which Mansoor is being held and the conduct of his 2018 trial.

Nonetheless, the UAE rejected the HRW report and adamantly denied any mistreatment of Mansoor.

Robinson urged the UAE to launch Mansoor as “this could be a well timed transfer additionally referred to as for by the parliament of the European Union”.

Bundled right into a 4×4

In line with the HRW report, Mansoor was seized from his house and was bundled right into a 4×4 by males in black balaclavas. 

He was taken to an unknown place, his household had no thought the place he was, and for a yr had nearly no contact with him. 

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He was then denied entry to a lawyer of his selecting.

Almost a yr after he was detained, he was delivered to courtroom, sentenced to 10 years in jail, and fined a million dirhams ($272,300) after being convicted underneath anti-terror legal guidelines of “insulting the standing and status of the UAE and its symbols together with its leaders” and “looking for to break the connection of the UAE with its neighbours by publishing false reviews and data on social media”.

In December 2018 his last attraction was rejected.

In September, the European Parliament additionally referred to as on the UAE to right away launch three outstanding human rights defenders – together with Mansoor – and urged EU member states to boycott Dubai Expo with a purpose to “sign their disapproval” of rights violations.

Sheikha Latifa

Robinson additionally mentioned that in 2018, she was “tricked” when she was invited to Dubai to test on Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler. 

A photograph of Robinson sitting with Latifa, who had tried unsuccessfully to flee her household, was launched to the media. Latifa was reportedly kidnapped by her household and introduced house on a ship from worldwide waters off India. Her household mentioned that was a rescue mission. 

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Robinson, the primary feminine president of Eire, informed BBC in February that she had not requested Latifa about her scenario.

In June, Latifa launched an announcement confirming she is now free to journey overseas.

The UAE enjoys robust relations with the West and normalised ties with Israel final yr in a US-brokered settlement.

Up to now years, different rights teams have additionally demanded that the UAE launch quite a few political prisoners who have been jailed in the course of the nation’s notorious “UAE 94” trial.

The 2013 mass trial concerned 94 individuals who have been accused of making an attempt to overthrow the Emirati authorities, a cost the defendants vehemently denied.

It resulted within the conviction of 69 folks – eight in absentia – who obtained sentences of as much as 15 years in jail.