Ahmed Mansoor on hunger strike
Reliable sources have confirmed that leading Emirati human rights activist, Ahmed Mansoor, has launched his second hunger strike in protest over his inhumane treatment and subjection to torture while in solitary confinement at al-Sadr prison.
It is understood that Mansoor, a member of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, began this hunger strike three weeks ago after being subject to torture and ill treatment that left visible marks on his face.
Mansoor was arbitrarily detained in March 2017 and held in an unknown location without access to legal counsel. He was eventually sentenced in May 2018 to ten years for “defaming the UAE through social media channels.”
He began his first hunger strike in March of this year in protest against his inhumane prison conditions. The resultant weight loss further exacerbated existing health problems that resulted from his treatment in prison. Following this, the second hunger strike now puts his health at serious risk.
Mansoor has received support from prominent international figures such as Noam Chomsky and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, and in May 2019 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture condemned “the poor conditions of his detention in the United Arab Emirates, including prolonged solitary confinement,” indicating that these conditions “may constitute torture.” In spite of this, the UAE continues to treat Mansoor with utter disregard for his health and humanity.
ICFUAE statement:
The plight of Ahmed Mansoor is a continued reminder that despite the manufactured reputation of the UAE as a nation of ‘tolerance’, it is in fact a ruthless regime that silences anyone who dares to speak out against it.
As Ahmed Mansoor’s health rapidly declines, now more than ever it is imperative that the international community puts pressure on the Emirati government to immediately and unconditionally release him. Pending this, we urge the Emirati authorities to abide by the UN’s Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners in their treatment of Mansoor, and all prisoners, which guarantees the provision of medical care and sanitary prison conditions.
In light of these new revelations, we implore you to join us in our call to action outside of the UAE Embassy on Saturday the 19th of October at 15:00 to mark Mansoor’s 50th birthday.
ENDS
- For more information or comment, please contact the ICFUAE team on media@icfuae.org.uk or 07979 6666 98.
