The UAE Sentences 43 Emiratis to Life Imprisonment in Controversial Trial
The UAE court recently handed life sentences to 43 Emiratis for “terror-related offences” in a trial that has been widely condemned by human rights groups. The trial, known as the “UAE84,” has been described as a “sham” by experts and rights organizations like Amnesty International and the UN.
The defendants, including government critics and human rights activists, have been in jail since a similar trial in 2013, and many had already spent 11 years in prison following a trial over a decade ago. The court sentenced the defendants to life imprisonment for their alleged links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized the trial for targeting activists and government critics advocating for democratic reforms in the UAE. The defendants have reported torture, abuse, and harsh conditions while awaiting trial, and their families have been barred from observing court sessions.
As the UAE aims to portray a progressive image on the world stage, the international community’s silence on the trial has raised concerns. Amnesty International has called for the immediate overturn of the convictions and the release of the defendants, emphasizing that the UAE’s human rights abuses should not be hidden behind a facade of progressivism.