AbdulRahman Bin Sobeih Appears before Court
The International Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ICJHR) has learned that Mr. Abdulrahman Khalifa Salem Binsobeih has appeared before the Federal Supreme Court in UAE on 28 March 2016 after 101 days of his disappearance.
During the trial, the judge reopened the “UAE 94” case in which Binsobeih was tried in absentia to 15 years in prison. Hecancelled all judgments against Mr. Binsobeih in order to judge him again on the basis of new charges which are still unknown. The trial was postponed to April 25, 2016 while waiting to appoint a lawyer.
We recall that in December 18, 2015, Mr. Binsobeih, was kidnapped from the Police station of Island of Batam in Indonesia by 5 people from the UAE Embassy and 6 people of the Indonesian secret services. After this kidnapping, he was illegally extradited on a Private Jet to Abu Dhabi without any judicial decision, because he was tried on July 2013 in the case known as the “UAE 94” and sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison.
The ICJHR reminds the UAE authorities of their voluntary pledges and commitments made as a candidate for membership of the UN Human Rights Council to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. As the trial is postponed, it also urges them to:
Definitively cancel this trial, drop the new charges, and immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Abdulrahman Khalifa Salem Binsobeih
Open a prompt investigation about the illegal extradition of and his fate and whereabouts during his enforced disappearance
Reveal why and where Mr. Binsobeih was forcibly disappeared
Provide all judicial and legal safeguards to a fair trial for Mr. Binsobeih
Respect all their international obligations and commitments mostly those ratified during the session of Human Rights Council in 2013
Respect the articles 8-11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically the article 11 (1) which stipulates that “Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense”
