This week mark the arbitrary arrest of Ahmed Ghaith and Ahmed Al-Zaabi

This week marks the arbitrary arrest and detention of the two human rights defenders, Mr. Ahmed Ghaith Al-Suwaidi and Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Zaabi by the UAE security forces on 26th March 2012.

Al-Suwaidi and Al-Zaabi are the oldest political prisoners in the UAE jails.

Al-Zaabi, who is a former judge and a university professor, was arrested, as he was driving his colleague, Ahmed Ghaith Al-Suwaidi, on his arrival back from Dubai.

Al-Zaabi requested the Security Forces present an arrest warrant that authorises the arrest and detention of Suwaidi, which they did not have.

Al-Zaabi was charged with obstruction of the law for asking the security forces to follow the law of the land. After two and a half hours, during which the two human rights defenders refused to comply with the arrest without seeing a judicial warrant, both were arrested and taken into police custody.