Statement at the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council
Delivered by Róisín Dunbar, CIVICUS
Thank you, Mr President,
CIVICUS, the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights welcome the government of the UAE’s engagement with the UPR process, and especially its support for 19 UPR recommendations related to civic space. We welcome the passing into law of the Federal Decree No 12.2021 on the National Commission for Human Rights. This institution has a mandate to document human rights violations.
However, we are concerned about the composition of the Commission and the Commissioners, which violates the Paris Principles regarding the establishment of centers for national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights. The Commission is composed of former military and police officers who may themselves be the subject of human rights complaints.
Since its 3rd UPR cycle review, the UAE has not implemented any of the recommendations it accepted on civic space. The UAE remains one of the most difficult places in the MENA region for HRDs to operate. We are concerned that 60 prisoners of conscience are still currently detained despite the completion of their sentences. Many of them are part of a group pf prisoners known as the UAE 94 who were arrested in 2012 and sentenced after grossly unfair trials.
We are particularly concerned about the continued detention in solitary confinement of HRD Ahmed Mansoor and the harsh treatment he is subjected to while serving 10 years for his human rights activities. The detention of academic Nasser Bin Ghaith - who was forcibly disappeared in August 2015 before he was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2017 on trumped-up charges of sharing false information aimed at harming the reputation of the state - is a testament to the way in which the UAE treats academics and activists who share critical views.
We are also concerned about several restrictive laws used to target HRDs, journalists and bloggers, including the Federal Law No 34 of 2021 on Combatting Rumours and Cyber Crimes for example and The Crime and Punishment Law (2021). These laws also force journalists and activists to self-censor to avoid reprisals.
The hosting of the COP28 in Dubai presents an opportunity for the UAE to release all detained political prisoners. We call on the UAE to also amend legislation that restricts freedom of expression, association and assembly.
We thank you.
