Update: United Arab Emirates: On 14 May 2015, human rights defender and internet activist Waleed Al-Shehhi was released.

2013-11-20

On 18 November 2013, the presiding judge, Shehab Al-Hammadi, at the Department of State Security of the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, sentenced  human rights defender and on-line activist Waleed Al-Shehhi to 2 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 AED (136,000 US$) under articles 28 and 29 of the new Cyber Crimes Law.

Waleed Al-Shehhi has been active in defending the 94 detained human rights defenders and activists known as the UAE 94. He used his twitter account to tweet about the trial of the UAE 94 human rights defenders and activists which, according to  international legal observers  was conducted with “flagrant disregard of fair trial guarantees” and “did not follow the international standards for fair trial and due process.”

On 11 May 2013, Waleed Al-Shehhi was arrested by the State Ssecurity Aapparatus in Ajman. He was held incommunicado for ten days and then moved to Al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the sentence and the heavy fine imposed on Waleed Al-Shehhi which it is believed is solely related to his work as a human rights defender. He was sentenced in the context of continuous harassment and targeting of human rights defenders and on-line activists in the UAE as they undertake their human rights activities. It is feared that such arrests are part of an attempt by the authorities to impede and disrupt the peaceful and legitimate work of human rights defenders.

The GCHR urges the authorities in UAE to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Waleed Al-Shehhi and all human rights defenders detained in the UAE as a result of their peaceful and legitimate human rights work;
2. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Waleed Al-Shehhi and all human rights defenders detained in the UAE,
3. Revoke the new Cyber Crimes Law which is being  used as a tool by security forces to prevent online activists from carrying out their legitimate activities in defence of  human rights
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in UAE are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. 

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to  Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”