UN Human Rights Council hears calls for release of prisoners of conscience in UAE

The UN Human Rights Council 29th Session in Geneva on June 18th 2015 heard from the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, who reported back following her visit to the United Arab Emirates. In her damning report the SR raised concerns about enforced disappearances, torture of detainees, arrest without warrants and lack of fair trials.
The rapporteur visited the United Arab Emirates last year to examine the situation in the UAE in preparation for the recommendations of her report. Upon conclusion of her visit she made a number of recommendations and again urged the UAE at the Human Rights Council session to reform the judiciary and bring systems in line with international law. She called for the protection of activists and noted a need to strengthen the independence of judges and lawyers in the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates official delegate to the UN HRC said that whilst they would take into consideration the comments made by the Special Rapporteur they believed her report not to be credible.
Other interventions on the situation in the UAE came from Amnesty International, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain and the Salaam Foundation. The NGOs raised a number of points about increasing repression in the UAE, continued imprisonment of activists and reports of torture of detainees. Describing the current political climate in the UAE, Amnesty International noted that there had been a crackdown on freedom of expression, assembly and association.
During the interventions the cases of Mohammed al Roken, a human rights lawyer imprisoned for 10 years and Osama al Najjar were raised. Al Najjar was targeted by the UAE authorities for his use of social media, particularly in using it to campaign for the UAE 94. Al Najjar was also active in participating in the special rapporteurs visit to the UAE, following which his family reported he had been subject to torture in reprisal.
Gabriela Knaul noted that respect for the rule of law was essential in a functioning democracy and her report noted that “the current judicial system in the United Arab Emirates faces challenges that negatively affect the delivery of justice, the enjoyment of human rights and the public’s confidence in the judiciary.”