UAE Accused of Retaliatory Abuse Against Prisoners of Conscience

Watan-Human rights circles have denounced the blatant disregard for the rights of prisoners of conscience in the UAE, viewing it as a form of retaliation and a deliberate effort to keep them in arbitrary detention indefinitely without any legal justification.

The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center expressed deep concern and condemnation over the delay in ruling on appeals submitted by the public prosecution against 24 Emirati prisoners of conscience. These appeals are part of efforts to retry them on the same charges for which they were previously prosecuted in the case known as “Reform” or “UAE 94.”

In a statement, the center said the delay represents a flagrant violation of the detainees’ rights—especially their right to liberty—after spending more than 13 years in prison, including three years beyond the end of their official sentences without any legal grounds. These individuals have fully served their sentences and are now legally considered innocent, making their continued detention and retrial a gross breach of justice.

The rights organization affirmed that re-trying the detainees on identical charges amounts to judicial absurdity and reveals an official intention to perpetuate injustice, disregarding international conventions that prohibit double jeopardy.

The center called for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience and the cessation of the so-called retrials, which it described as a superficial attempt to legitimize ongoing arbitrary detention.

Human rights sources revealed that Abu Dhabi decided last Tuesday to postpone the review of the prosecution’s appeal to reinstate charges against the 24 defendants in the “UAE 84” case to a later date.

Sources said that Abu Dhabi’s State Security Court reviewed the prosecution’s appeal against the decision to drop the case against 24 individuals in the “UAE 84” trial and decided to postpone the verdict to a future session.

This move reflects a pattern of intentional delay and continued pressure on detainees, despite the harsh conditions they face and ongoing violations of their fundamental rights—similar to previous practices in the same case.

The Federal Supreme Court had earlier rejected all appeals by the convicted individuals in the “UAE 84” case on March 4, 2024, affirming their prison sentences.

Timeline of Key Events in the “UAE 84” Case:

• January 6, 2024: The Attorney General refers 84 Emiratis, including over 60 prisoners of conscience who had completed their sentences, to the State Security Court.

• January 8, 2024: The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center states that Abu Dhabi disclosed the “UAE 84” case due to pressure from human rights organizations.

• January 11, 2024: A five-hour trial session adds a new charge of “money laundering,” and the court postpones the next hearing to February 7–8.

• January 20, 2024: UN experts express deep concern that the new charges violate the international prohibition on double jeopardy and retroactive criminal laws.

• February 5, 2024: Amnesty International accuses Abu Dhabi of “mocking justice” through the retrial of the “UAE 84” defendants.

• February 8, 2024: Second trial session held; defendants threaten a hunger strike.

• February 18, 2024: The trial is postponed to March 7 to allow defense lawyers to plead for all 84 accused individuals and entities.

• March 7, 2024: Seventh trial session held. For the first time, political prisoners are called by numbers instead of names.

• March 12, 2024: The UN sends a letter to Abu Dhabi criticizing the “UAE 84” trial and expressing concern over the use of torture and inhumane treatment to extract forced confessions.

• March 14, 2024: Eighth trial session sees further abuse of detainees, and the case is postponed to April 18.

• March 25, 2024: UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul states that the “UAE 84” trial lacks judicial independence and urges the UAE to drop terrorism charges.

• April 25, 2024: Ninth trial session is held; detainees appear frail during the four-hour hearing.

• May 10, 2024: Abu Dhabi’s Federal Court of Appeals sets July 10 as the date for the final verdict.

• Early July 2024: Regional and international rights groups urge Abu Dhabi to allow independent monitors to attend the ruling session and demand the release of the detainees. Ahead of the verdict, the government launches a media smear campaign against the prisoners.

• July 10, 2024: Abu Dhabi issues the harshest political verdict in its history—sentencing 43 prisoners of conscience to life imprisonment, and others to 10–15 years—sparking global human rights condemnation.

• July 11, 2024: The Associated Press confirms that Abu Dhabi presented no concrete evidence to convict the defendants in the “UAE 84” case.