UAE: Moza al-Abdouli on Trial after 6 Months of Enforced Disappearance
The last information states that Moza Mohammed Alabdouli (18 years old) was on trial on charges of setting up and administering an online website. According to the charges against her by the state security prosecution, Moza had published on the site "false information, which may cause damage to the reputation of the UAE and its institutions. She also wrote abusive and defamatory posts on the UAE, its leaders, its policy and its official institutions", said the arraignment sheet. Moza was also accused of publishing information on Twitter, which may "cause damage to the UAE state security agency."
In reply to a question by the judge, Moza said she had unintentionally written this information and without a purpose to affront anyone, nor any government institution or entity. The defence attorney, Hamdan Al Zayoudi, asked the court to postpone the hearing to view and examine the investigation files. The court adjourned the hearing to May 2, 2016.
We recall that Moza Mohammed Alabdouli, as her sister, Amina Mohammed Alabdouli (33 years old) and her two brothers, Mosab Mohammed Alabdouli (25 years old) and Walid Mohammed Alabdouli (arrested later on November 29), was arrested on Thursday the 19th of November 2015 by the UAE State Security Apparatus which took her to an unknown direction.
Before her enforced disappearance, her house in the Emirate of Al-Fujairah was raided at 11pm and searched by individuals with civil clothes. Her house was searched, and then, no one knew her fate and whereabouts. Available information said no arrest warrant was shown to the detained individual or her family. She was not informed of any charges during the arrest, as she has not herself committed an offense nor a crime. But this arrest is believed to be in relation with tweets she has posted in memory of her father, who passed away in Syria in 2013.
The International Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ICJHR) urgently calls the UAE authorities to immediately release Moza Alabdouli and to make the location of her sister and brothers known. Therefore, the ICJHR urgently asks the UAE to fulfill all its international obligations and to:
Immediately and unconditionally release Moza Mohammed Alabdouli, and the other members of her family
Disclose her fate and whereabouts, the reason of her detention, and promptly allow the location and fate of her sister and brothers to be revealed
Refrain from using enforced disappearance to punish family members of dissidents, activists, or reformists and make sure that victims of enforced disappearances receive reparation and compensation
Open an independent and impartial investigations about all the cases of enforced disappearances in UAE and bring those responsible to fair trial
Comply with its own constitution which states in its Article 26 that “Personal liberty is guaranteed to all citizens. No person may be arrested, searched, detained”
Ratify the International Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance and accept the competency of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances
Ratify the International Covenant on civil and political rights and the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights
Respect all its commitments made during the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Council of Human Rights in 2013.
