UAE: Mass Trial Convictions Spark Controversy
On the evening of 10 July, the UAE’s government news agency reported significant developments in a high-profile mass trial. This trial involved 84 defendants and resulted in severe sentencing. Authorities handed life sentences to 43 defendants. Five individuals received 15-year sentences, while another five were sentenced to 10 years. Additionally, six entities, including companies, faced convictions. The court dismissed the indictments for 24 defendants, and one defendant received an acquittal. This update highlights the severity of the sentencing and the selective nature of the judicial decisions.
Amnesty International’s Criticism
Amnesty International’s UAE Researcher, Devin Kenney, strongly condemned the verdict. Kenney described the trial as a “shameless parody of justice,” citing violations of fundamental legal principles. The trial flouted the principle against double jeopardy—trying someone twice for the same crime—and the prohibition on retroactive punishment under laws that did not exist at the time of the alleged offense.
Kenney criticized the trial’s handling of 84 Emiratis, including 26 prisoners of conscience and prominent human rights defenders. He highlighted numerous fair trial violations, such as uninvestigated allegations of torture and mistreatment. Defendants endured prolonged solitary confinement and were deprived of contact with family and legal representatives. They also suffered from sleep deprivation due to constant loud music. Families, despite incurring high legal costs, were denied access to essential court documents and barred from attending court sessions. Kenney argued that these conditions and procedural flaws undermine the credibility of the legal system and make a mockery of justice.
Kenney called for the immediate revocation of the unlawful verdict and the release of the defendants. He argued that this case reveals the UAE’s attempts to obscure severe human rights abuses under a façade of progressiveness.
Background of the Trial
Authorities launched the mass trial during COP28, the international climate conference held in Dubai last year. They charged 84 defendants with creating and supporting a “terrorist organization,” accusing them of founding and funding this group. The trial began on 7 December 2023, but the UAE government only acknowledged it a month later, following reports by human rights groups and journalists.
The indictment, specific charges, and defendants’ identities largely remained secret, with information emerging through leaks. Of the 72 known defendants, 93% had previously faced similar charges in a prior mass trial between 2012 and 2013. Nearly half (34 out of 72) had signed a pro-democracy petition in March 2011, which influenced the UAE’s repressive policies. Additionally, 83% of these defendants were held beyond the expiration of their previous sentences, reflecting ongoing patterns of legal and human rights abuses by UAE authorities.