122 days of Alabdouli siblings’ disappearance

122 days of Alabdouli siblings’ disappearance

122 days have been passed now since the disappearance of Alabdouli siblings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for simply tweeting in memory of their father.

 

The whereabouts of four members of the Alabdouli family, sisters Amina, 33, and Moza, 18, and their brothers Mosab, 25, and Walid remain unknown till the day of writing.

 

Local sources told Human Rights Watch that men believed to be state security officers arrested Amina, Moza, and Mosab at their home in the emirate of Fujeirah on November 19. Officials later detained Walid Alabdouli on November 29 for protesting against their brother and sisters’ kidnapping. 

 

The reasons behind their kidnap are believed to be in relation to their father, who was killed in Syria in 2013 fighting against Bashar al-Assad for Ahrar al-Sham," one of the main rebel groups seeking to overthrow the Syrian president.

 

On 1st December 2015, Amina managed to speak to her mother by telephone from a secret detention centre, launching a cry for help.

 

Human Rights Watch has earlier expressed concerns over the safety of the four members of the Abdouli family, who it said are being held at a secret location by state security of the UAE.

 

Human Rights Watch has accused the UAE of “systematic torture” in prisons, citing smuggled handwritten notes from prisoners, and Amnesty International has reported on numerous cases where they say people have been tortured. 

 

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