Mass convictions following an unfair trial: The UAE 94 case 

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is concerned that 94 individuals (known as “the UAE 94”) may have been detained and/or prosecuted, and most of them convicted, for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association.

Furthermore, the ICJ considers that the breadth of the criminal provision on which the charges were based is inconsistent with the principle of legality (nullum crimen sine lege), a cornerstone of contemporary criminal and international human rights law, which requires States to ensure that criminal offences are clearly and precisely defined within the law. 

It is satisfied when an individual can know from the wording of the legal provision, as interpreted by the courts, what acts and/or omissions would make him or her criminally liable. 

* Published on 4th October 2013 By: ICJ 

To read more and get a copy of the report, click on the following link: http://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/UAE-report-4-Oct-2013smallpdf.com_.pdf