Eight years in unjust detention: Join the Twitter Storm for Dr Mohammed Al-Roken
To mark the 8th anniversary of human rights lawyer Dr Mohammed Al-Roken’s arrest on Friday 17 July, ICFUAE is organizing a Twitter storm calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Who is Mohammed Al-Roken?
Dr Mohammed Al-Roken is a prominent lawyer who has dedicated much of his career to providing legal assistance to victims of human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His work has been recognised internationally: in 2017, he was awarded the Ludovic Trarieaux Award International Human Rights Prize in absentia.
On 17 July 2012, he was arrested, subjected to an enforced disappearance and held incommunicado for over three months. During this time, he was denied access to his family and any legal aid. On 2 July 2013, he was tried in the grossly unfair UAE 94 mass trial and charged with ‘plotting to overthrow the government’ after signing a petition calling for democratic reform in the UAE. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and denied the right to appeal.
Currently, he remains detained at Abu Dhabi’s notoriously repressive al-Razeen prison, where he has been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement for months at a time. Al-Roken has also been a victim of music torture causing him to pass out due to high blood pressure.
What can I do to help Dr Al-Roken?
This Friday we call on anyone who wants to help draw attention to Mohammed Al-Roken’s plight to join our Twitter storm.
It is easy, just post as many tweets as you can throughout the day on Friday, 17 July using the hashtags #FreeAlRoken and #FreeUAE94.
Who shall I address the Tweets to?
You can address the tweets to the United Arab Emirates, in particular to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum @HHShkMohd, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ask him to #FreeAlRoken. You can also tweet to Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan @SaifBZayed, the Minister of Interior, who is the authority responsible for prisons in the UAE and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan @MohamedBinZayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
You can create your own tweets or use the suggestions below.
- Today marks the 8th anniversary of the unjust arrest of #HumanRights lawyer Mohammed Al-Roken (@DrAlRoken), who remains imprisoned in the #UAE to this day. We urge @SaifBZayed, @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd to #FreeAlRoken immediately & unconditionally.
- .@DrAlRoken, a leading #HumanRights lawyer who dedicated his career to helping #PrisonersOfConscience in the #UAE, has now himself spent 8 years behind bars at the notoriously repressive al-Razeen prison where he has been subject to solitary confinement & torture. #FreeAlRoken
- 8 years ago today #UAE security forces arbitrarily arrested human rights advocate @DrAlRoken. One year later, on 2 July 2013, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison at a grossly unfair mass trial known as the #UAE94. We urge the UAE authorities to #FreeAlRoken #FreeUAE94.
- #UAE: Since his arrest 8 years ago, prisoner of conscience Mohammed al-Roken @DrAlRoken has been tortured and subjected to prolonged solitary confinement in #AbuDhabi’s al-Razeen prison. Please join us to obtain his immediate and unconditional release. #FreeAlRoken #FreeUAE94
- .@DrAlRoken, a prominent lawyer & #HRD, dedicated his life to defending victims of #HumanRights violations until he himself was jailed. His incarceration is a direct reprisal against his activism & cannot be tolerated. @SaifBZayed, @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd #FreeAlRoken
- On the 8th anniversary of his arrest, our heart goes out to @DrAlRoken, a #HumanRights lawyer and prisoner of conscience. He has committed no crime and shouldn't have to spend another day in prison. We urge @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd to #FreeAlRoken & #FreeUAE94
- No human rights advocate should be detained or imprisoned due to the peaceful and legitimate exercise of his or her rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association & assembly. #FreeAlRoken #FreeUAE94
- 8 years after his arrest, @DrAlRoken remains in prison amid the #COVID19 outbreak. His atrocious prison conditions and the fact that he is suffering from high blood pressure make him highly vulnerable to the virus. #FreeAlRoken #FreeUAE94
- The ongoing detention of Emirati human rights lawyer Mohammed al-Roken (@DrAlRoken) is incompatible with the #UAE’s international responsibilities and commitments. @SaifBZayed, @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd stop the #HumanRights violations & #FreeAlRoken!
- Read @ICFUAE's open letter to #UAE ambassador @MansoorAbulhoul regarding the case of imprisoned human rights lawyer @DrAlRoken. We urge the UAE government to #FreeAlRoken. http://icfuae.org.uk/news-media-publications/open-letter-uae-ambassador-calling-release-dr-mohammed-al-roken
