Amnesty International: UAE Must Immediately Free Activists Wrongfully Imprisoned

The human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the legal record of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, stating that the country, which is hosting the UN climate negotiations this year, must free dozens of Emirati citizens who were 'wrongfully imprisoned' in a mass trial in 2013. In a statement issued on the tenth anniversary of the trial of these individuals, Amnesty International warned that if the 60 Emiratis still imprisoned are not released immediately, the reputation of the UN climate summit, known as COP28, will be tarnished due to the ongoing repression. Heba Morayef, the Middle East director of Amnesty International, stated that the UAE is in the international spotlight by hosting the upcoming most important annual climate change conference. She said in a statement, 'The government of this country has not released any of the 60 Emiratis who were wrongfully imprisoned in the notorious public trial of 2013, even though 51 of the detainees have completed their sentences.' The trial known as 'UAE 94' followed a wave of arrests and government harassment in 2012, targeting 94 Emirati government critics, including activists, lawyers, students, and teachers. The UAE accused dozens of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group it considers a 'terrorist organization.' Amnesty International stated that out of 69 convicted individuals, 60 are still in prison, including 51 who are under 'counter-extremism counseling.'