Hadif Rashed Al-Owais is an Emirati human rights defender, lawyer and professor at the United Arab Emirates University. He is known for his defence of fundamental freedoms and justice, particularly in the context of the repression of political dissent in the United Arab Emirates. In 2013, Hadif Rashed Al-Owais was arrested and charged in the UAE94 mass trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Despite the completion of his sentence in September 2022, Hadif Rashed Al-Owais remained in arbitrary detention and continues to be targeted for his human rights work. He was included in a later trial, the ‘UAE84’ trial, in which he faced new charges based on events from the Arab Spring. The extension of his detention was described by United Nations experts as a serious violation of his fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of expression. On 10 July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals sentenced him to life imprisonment.