Open letter to the Emirati government from Members of the European Parliament calling for indefinite detention to be stopped in the UAE
ICFUAE has written a letter, in collaboration with Members of the European Parliament, urging His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan to put an end to the inhumane practice of indefinite detention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The letter outlines the use of Munasaha centres to detain prisoners of conscience beyond their release dates and urges for their immediate and unconditional release.
Our sponsor MEP Köster has expressed his views on the subject: “The practice of indefinite detention in the United Arab Emirates is a shocking violation of human rights. Those affected are not freed after their release dates but kept in Munasaha centres. Therefore, these centres depict nothing but a further place of imprisonment and arbitrariness. I join the call for the Emirati authorities to release the prisoners facing indefinite detention and to comply with international law.”
Open Letter
UAE: The indefinite detention of prisoners of conscience must come to an end.
Your Excellency, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan,
We, the undersigned, call upon the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government to end their systemic oppression of political dissent by immediately and unconditionally releasing all prisoners of conscience that have been subjected to indefinite detention.
Indefinite detention is the incarceration of prisoners beyond their release date, without trial or due process. As of April 2021, nine prisoners of conscience, imprisoned for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, continue to be detained in the UAE after serving their full original sentence. The continued detention of political activists beyond their original sentences, without legal basis, breaches both international human rights norms as well as the UAE’s own laws regarding fair trials and due process.
After their release date, prisoners are transferred to “Munasaha centres'' or “counselling centres,” which are found within the prison facility itself. This enables regulation of prisoners’ rights regarding calls and visits to be applied to detainees, preventing them from contact with the outside world. Munasaha centres, as defined in Article 1 of the UAE’s counterterrorism law, are aimed at the “enlightenment and reform” of prisoners suspected of posing a “terrorist threat” to the state and society. Under this pretext, Emirati authorities can use such centres as a political tool to silence all forms of criticism against the government. Moreover, the counterterrorism law sets no time limit for indefinite detention.
Those who have been moved to such centres, under a court order or an administrative decision, have not been charged with any offence and are therefore unable to appeal a judicial verdict. Furthermore, the UAE continuously fails to provide prisoners who are indefinitely detained with the right to a fair trial and access to legal counsel prior to being transferred.
Four of the nine prisoners of conscience, Omran al-Radwan al-Harathi, Mahmoud Hasan al-Hosani, Abdullah Abdulqader al-Hajiri and Fahd Abdulqader al-Hajiri, were convicted in the grossly unfair mass “UAE 94” trial. During the trial, 94 activists, who had openly condemned the Emirati government and launched a petition calling for democratic reform, were sentenced, including human rights lawyers Dr Mohammed Al-Roken and Dr Mohammed Al-Mansoori.
Abdullah Ibrahim al-Hilo was indicted for being a member of the Al Islah Charity Committee and Abdullwahid Hasan al-Sihi, for charges of association with the Al Islah Group. Khalifa al-Rabia was sentenced on a charge relating to online activism.
All seven men are currently detained in Munasaha centres within Al Razeen prison in Abu Dhabi, which is often referred to as the Guantanamo of the UAE and deemed one of the world’s most repressive prisons. Al Razeen consistently violates the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, as well as relevant Emirati laws, and has been alleged to harbour inhumane living conditions. Prisoners have also reported the use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment by prison warders. As an example, Mr Abudallah al-Hajiri has described being subject to beatings and deprivation of bathroom use.
Amina Mohammed al-Abdouli and Maryam Suliman al-Balushi were initially sentenced on charges relating to online activism. On 30 July 2019, both women were faced with an additional charge of disseminating false information relating to their video and audio testimonies, and letters smuggled out of prison. They have both been denied access to legal aid in relation to the second charge.
Ms Al-Abdouli and Ms Al-Balushi are currently held at Al Wathba prison, also in Abu Dhabi, in the same detention facility where they carried out their initial sentences. Testimonies from both women have accused prison authorities of ill-treatment, particularly in reprisal for refusing to conform to self-incriminating confessions condemning them. They have made further allegations of torture, overcrowding of cells, inadequate food supplies and poor hygiene. Ms Al-Balushi has previously attempted to commit suicide after being placed in solitary confinement and being subject to degrading treatment, which highlights the severity of their suffering and the degree of urgency this situation requires.
The Emirati government must recognise and enforce its constitutional responsibility to respect and support human rights. In light of the aforementioned injustices, which pose a threat to the UAE’s global reputation, we implore the UAE authorities to not only guarantee to cease the practice of indefinite detention, but to ensure the unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience. With the sentences of many of the UAE 94 prisoners due to expire, including that of Dr Mohammed Al-Roken who is to be released on 17th July 2022, it is imperative that their original release dates are respected.
Pending this, we urge the UAE government to demonstrate their commitment to upholding human rights and comply with international standards for prisoners by granting detainees being held indefinitely with regular family visits, counsellor visits and consultations with their lawyers.
Yours Sincerely,
MEP Dietmar Köster
MEP Özlem Demirel
MEP Tineke Strik
MEP Stelios Kouloglou
MEP Katrin Langensiepen
MEP Nikolaj Villumsen
MEP Sira Rego
MEP Manu Pineda
MEP Ernest Urtasun
MEP Martina Michels
MEP José Gusmão
