On 22 March 2013, L4L sent a letter to the United Arab Emirates authorities on behalf of human rights lawyer Mohamed Al-Roken and his colleagues.
On 4 March 2013, 94 human rights activists from the UAE went on trial, including lawyers Dr Mohamed al-Mansoori and Dr Mohamed Abdullah al-Roken – who were arrested on 16 and 17 July 2012 respectively and their lawyer Salem al-Shehhi, who was arrested on 18 July 2012 at the offices of the State Security Prosecutor where he sought information about his clients. Many organizations that intended to monitor this trial were banned from the trial or even barred from entering the country at all.
Al-Roken provided legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses in the UAE, including to other human rights defenders. Before he was arrested, he defended the “UAE 5” ; five human rights defenders who were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment by a UAE court for their human rights work in November 2011 and subsequently released as a result of a Presidential amnesty.
Various organizations, among them Lawyers for Lawyers, tend to consider the prosecution of Al-Roken and his colleagues as an attempt by the United Arab Emirates’ government to curb Dr. Al-Roken’s legitimate activities as a lawyer defending human rights in the United Arab Emirates. These organizations fear that the arrest and the prosecution of Dr. Al – Roken are connected to, and serve to frustrate, his invaluable human rights activities.
A copy of the letter that was sent can be viewed here.
