The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) protests the sentencing of 24 more people to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the notorious “UAE84” case, increasing the total of life sentences in the case to 67 people. The 24 men had previously not been sentenced in the case due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. GCHR calls for all those sentenced in the case, which was deeply flawed and contrary to international law, to be freed.

Many of them were already previously sentenced in a mass trial known as the “UAE94” case, with most of them still in prison past the end of their sentences. Among them are prominent human rights defenders, lawyers and activists.

On 26 June 2025, the case of the 24 defendants was brought back to court at a session at the Criminal Chamber of the UAE’s Federal Supreme Court, which overturned the Court’s previous judgment to dismiss their cases. In a shocking move, they were reconvicted and sentenced to life in prison on terrorism-related charges under the UAE’s Counter-terrorism Law.

During a hearing on 04 March 2025, the State Security Department of the Federal Supreme Court in the UAE rejected the appeals submitted by 53 other people convicted in the case known in the media as the “UAE84” case. They include Ahmed Mansoor, a member of GCHR’s Advisory Board, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Last year, the Federal Supreme Court upheld all the sentences of those convicted by the State Security Department of the Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi on 10 July 2024, including life sentences for 43 people (some in absentia), 15 years in prison for five individuals, and 10 years in prison for five others. As well, six companies were fined 20 million Dirhams after being convicted. Additionally, the 24 individuals in the case were not sentenced in July 2024 due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. One other person appears to have been acquitted.

However, the public prosecutor lodged an appeal against the ruling issued to terminate the criminal case against 24 defendants for the crimes of allegedly cooperating with or providing money to the Call for Reform (Al-Islah) organisation, which it labelled a “terrorist” organisation. The State Security Department of the Federal Supreme Court decided to consider this appeal separately.

Case No. 452 of 2023 was also named by the authorities as the “Terrorist Justice and Dignity Committee” case.

For more details on the case, please read a report on the UAE84 trial by GCHR and the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center (EDAC).

Recommendations

GCHR calls on the Emirati authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those sentenced in this case, which was not conducted according to international standards of fair trial.

We also call on the Emirati authorities to investigate allegations of abusive conditions, and hold to account those responsible for any unlawful acts. Finally, while they remain in prison, all defendants in the case must be removed from solitary confinement, given access to their lawyers and families, and provided with medical care, as mandated by the Nelson Mandela Rules.