Human rights activists have criticized the open show of contempt for prisoners of conscience’ rights in the UAE as revenge and a bid to detain them for an unspecified duration arbitrarily, as opposed to its legality under international law.
The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center has cast a serious concern and condemnation on the postponement of the ruling on appeals made by the public prosecution against 24 Emirati prisoners of conscience. The appeals are being made within attempts to retry them for the same charges for which they were initially prosecuted in the so-called “Reform” or “UAE 94” case.
In a statement, the center stated that the delay is a blatant disregard of the detainees’ rights, particularly their right to liberty, after more than 13 years in prison, three years past the expiration of their official sentences without any legal basis. These people have served their sentences in full and are now legally innocent, and their continued detention and retrial is a gross violation of justice.
UAE Retrial Delays Cut as a Strategy to Extend Injustice, Pressure Detainees
The human rights organization reiterated that the re-trial of the detainees on identical charges amounts to judicial absurdity and expresses official intent to pursue injustice, despite international agreements prohibiting double jeopardy.
The center urged the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience and an end to the so-called retrials, which it characterized as a cosmetic move to legitimize continued arbitrary detention.
Human rights sources indicated that Abu Dhabi last Tuesday resolved to defer the review of the prosecution appeal to reinstate charges against the 24 “UAE 84” case defendants to a future date. Sources stated that Abu Dhabi’s State Security Court examined the prosecution’s appeal against the decision to settle the case against 24 individuals in the “UAE 84” trial and chose to postpone the verdict to a future session.
This action is in line with a trend of willful delay and persistent pressure on detainees, notwithstanding the adverse conditions they are exposed to and continuous breaches of their basic rights, following the same pattern of practice in the same case. The Federal Supreme Court had previously rejected all the appeals of the convicted persons in the “UAE 84” case on March 4, 2024, confirming them to prison sentences.
The “UAE 84” case started on 6 January 2024 when 84 Emiratis, including more than 60 prisoners of conscience already having completed their sentences, were sent to the State Security Court. Abu Dhabi was put under international pressure before revealing the case days later.
There was a contentious trial involving new accusations such as money laundering and successive delays. UN officials and human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, denounced the trials for violating international law, judicial impartiality, and alleged torture. In spite of calls for transparency and equal treatment, the court handed down its toughest political ruling on July 10, sentencing 43 defendants to life terms and others between 10-15 years, which triggered widespread international outrage.