Continued Arbitrary Detention of Dr. Mohammad Al-Roken: A Call to Release Unjustly Detained Lawyers amid COP28 in the UAE
United Arab Emirates
As COP28 comes to an end on December 13th in the UAE, at Expo City Dubai, Lawyers for Lawyers reflects on the situation of prominent academic, constitutional law teacher and human rights lawyer Dr.Mohammal Al-Roken. Despite completing his sentence in 2022, he has remained in detention since his arrest on July 17, 2012.
On July 2, 2013, the Federal Supreme Court convicted and sentenced Dr. Al-Roken to a 10-year prison term for signing – along with 132 others – an online petition calling for political reform. This conviction resulted from an egregiously unfair mass trial of 94 people, widely known as the “UAE 94” trial, which included human rights lawyers, judges, and student activists. Among the “UAE 94” group, 55 of them have completed their sentences but remain in prison. They include human rights lawyers Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mansoori. In addition to holding them beyond their sentences, UAE authorities have often obstructed contact between some of the UAE 94 prisoners and their families by limiting calls and visits and prohibiting calls with family members outside of the UAE.
Lawyers for Lawyers is concerned about the UAE authorities’ repeated use of vague laws such as Federal Law No 2 of 2008, the Cybercrime Law, and the 2014 Law on Combatting Terrorism Offences, to prosecute human rights defenders. These Laws allow for individuals to be indefinitely detained, without charge or court hearing and to be held past the end of their sentences. Such a lack of transparency and adherence to basic standards of fairness and due process violates international human rights standards.
In the context of COP28 and the UAE’s commitment to holding an ‘inclusive’ event, Lawyers for Lawyers also calls on authorities to release all those who have been arbitrarily detained. Following the start of the COP28, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders – Mary Lawlor – reiterated on December 10, 2023 her support for detained human rights defenders in the UAE, including Dr. Al-Roken, and called for their immediate release.
As host of the conference, the UAE should signal its readiness to tolerate dissent by the immediate and unconditional release of unjustly detained individuals including lawyers Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mansoori.
Lawyers for Lawyers calls on the UAE authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release unjustly detained individuals involved in the “UAE 94” case, including lawyers Mohammed Al-Roken and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mansoori.
- Release all detainees who are being held past the end of their sentences and end the practice of arbitrarily detaining human rights defenders and dissidents in Munasaha (Counselling) Centres after they have served their full sentences.
- Guarantee that all lawyers in the UAE are able to carry out their professional activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment, arbitrary arrest, deprivation of liberty, or other arbitrary sanctions.