Watan–Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi, the Egyptian writer and poet and son of the late Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, has come under the control of Abu Dhabi after being deported from Lebanon aboard a private plane for the benefit of Emirati intelligence services. He was not handed over to his home country, Egypt, or to Turkey, of which he holds citizenship; instead, he was subjected to a cross-border suppression targeting non-Emirati citizens.
The State Security apparatus affiliated with Abu Dhabi is determined to embarrass the UAE internationally, causing embarrassment to Arab countries and governments, thereby adding another case to a history of flawed policies. It appears that Abu Dhabi seeks to counter negative propaganda by demonstrating its extensive reach in Arab countries to pursue those it deems undesirable and use this to intimidate Emiratis. A day after announcing the handover, the authorities declared the addition of 19 individuals and entities to their terrorism lists, most of whom are Emirati human rights activists and opponents residing outside the country.
Because the State Security apparatus (intelligence) cannot reach opponents and critics through legal means, it expands its clandestine operations through illegal methods. This report discusses the issues related to the pursuit of opponents and critics beyond national borders.
Abdulrahman bin Subaih
In December 2015, Abu Dhabi kidnapped the preacher Abdulrahman bin Subaih, a former official and relief worker. The operation was carried out under the cover of darkness by bribing the security forces of the Asian state and transferring him to Abu Dhabi.
He was abducted and transported from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, while he was seeking political asylum, after a State Security Court issued a 15-year prison sentence against him in a case described by human rights organizations as unjust and politically motivated, within a case that was media-wise known as “Emirates94.”
The authorities did not officially comment on his abduction, and human rights organizations confirmed that he was subjected to torture after being moved to Abu Dhabi. He was re-tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was later released from prison as part of a deal with the State Security apparatus to retract his abduction after the UAE’s international image was negatively affected.
Khalaf Al-Ramithi
Years later, in May 2023, Abu Dhabi kidnapped the Emirati doctor Khalaf Al-Ramithi, who holds Turkish citizenship, during his visit to Jordan. Al-Ramithi disappeared after being referred to court to consider the UAE’s arrest warrant, and days later it was confirmed that he was transferred through a clandestine operation by the State Security apparatus to Abu Dhabi.
Despite entering Jordanian territory with a Turkish passport, the Jordanian authorities detained him and handed him over to Abu Dhabi, violating regional and international laws and agreements.
In 2013, Al-Ramithi was among 61 people convicted in the trial. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but he was not in the UAE when the sentence was announced; he had fled to Turkey and was reportedly shocked because he was confined by the case. Al-Ramithi served as the Assistant Agent in the Public Works Department in Abu Dhabi and later worked in the office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, where he was responsible for Emirati patients seeking medical treatment abroad.
In July 2024, he was acquitted of the charges within the context of the “Emirates 84” case.
Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi
The same applies to the handover of Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi, where the Lebanese caretaker government decided to deliver him to Abu Dhabi approximately 10 days after detaining him on his return from Syria to Lebanon via the Al-Ma’mal border crossing using his Turkish passport.
Beirut expedited his handover before the announcement of a new President of the country, which indeed happened, handing him over one day before President “Joseph Aoun” was announced. Despite there being an Egyptian arrest warrant (his original country), Lebanese authorities preferred to deliver him to Abu Dhabi.
Twenty-four Egyptian, Arab, and international human rights organizations, political parties, and individuals condemned the Lebanese authorities’ detention of Al-Qaradawi, demanding his immediate release. In a petition, they considered this action “a blatant example of cross-border repression practices, systematically used to silence opposition voices and human rights defenders outside their home countries.”
The petition added that Al-Qaradawi‘s detention “represents the unlawful exploitation of international security agreements to settle political scores with opponents, demonstrating a dangerous trend towards using international security cooperation as a tool to suppress fundamental freedoms and restrict individuals’ rights to express their opinions.”
An official statement reported by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) stated that Abu Dhabi had received Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi from Lebanon. The step was taken “based on a surrender request submitted by the central authority in the United Arab Emirates, represented by the Ministry of Justice, to the central authority in the Republic of Lebanon in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.”
The statement added that Al-Qaradawi is accused of committing acts “capable of stirring and destabilizing public security.”
Failed Attempt
In 2018, Dr. Mohamed Mahsoub, a former Egyptian minister in Mohamed Morsi’s government, was arrested in Italy based on an Interpol notice. However, he was later released due to his dual Italian citizenship.
Concurrently with the “Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi” case, Mahsoub revealed that the UAE was behind his arrest.
Mahsoub stated: “Today, the current leadership of the brotherly UAE persists in adopting unwise policies in the face of the Arab Spring revolutions. If they had thought with reason and wisdom, they would have realized that these revolutions could have been a lifeline for the region amidst the turmoil it faces.”
Flawed Policies
Abu Dhabi does not limit itself to pursuing Emirati human rights activists and opponents. Expanding the scope of this pursuit through illegal clandestine operations to include Arabs and foreign critics tarnishes the UAE and the legacy of soft diplomacy in the Arab world and globally established by the founding fathers. It further deteriorates the country’s image by paving the way to undermine legal and humanitarian considerations in agreements between nations and international treaties.
The handover of “Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi” adds to a continuous history of over a decade and a half of flawed policies that urgently need revision. Emphasizing the national wisdom that the state’s founders possessed, the animosity from the region’s peoples increases the country’s isolation within its Arab and Islamic surroundings. Relying on illegitimate methods damages the UAE’s reputation for decades to come.
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