Ahmed Mansoor detained
In early September 2019, human rights defender Ahmed Mansour started an open ending hunger strike in protest against the solitary confinement and the torture he is facing at Al-Sadr prison. The human rights defender is being subjected to frequent harassment by the prison guards.
On 31 December 2018, the UAE's State Security Court upheld a 10-year prison setence and a 1 million dirham (€236,000) fine against HRD Ahmed Mansoor based on an earlier court's ruling on charges related to damaging the country's reputation and spreading false information online.
On 29 May 2018, human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for social media posts criticizing human rights violations carried out by the Emirati government. He had been held in pre-trial detention for more than a year. He was also fined 1 million dirhams (approximately EUR 233,000) and given three years probation to be served upon his release. He was convicted of “insulting the 'status and prestige of the UAE and its symbols' including its leaders” and of “seeking to damage the relationship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with its neighbours by publishing false reports and information on social media.”
Ahmed Mansoor is one of the few voices within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that provides a credible independent assessment of human rights developments in the country. In 2015, he won the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders as a result of his continued work on human rights despite a crackdown on human rights defenders in UAE. Ahmed Mansoor regularly raises concerns on arbitrary detention, torture or ill or degrading treatment, failure to meet international standards for fair trials, non-independence of the judiciary, domestic laws that violate international law, and other violations of civil rights. He has been jailed for his efforts, and is currently banned from travelling.
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- 17 October 2019 : Ahmed Mansoor tortured in prison
- 1 January 2019 : State Security Court Rejects Appeal; 10- Year Sentence Upheld
- 21 December 2018 : Ahmed Mansoor appeal due to be heard on 24 December
- 31 May 2018 : Ahmed Mansoor sentenced to 10 years in prison
- 21 March 2017 : Ahmed Mansoor detained
Human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor is being tortured by prison guards in Al-Sader prison, where he continues to be held as a result of his work in defence of human rights in the United Arab Emirates. In response, he has resumed a hunger strike which he first started in September.
On 31 December 2018, the UAE's State Security Court upheld a 10-year prison setence and a 1 million dirham (€236,000) fine against HRD Ahmed Mansoor based on an earlier court's ruling on charges related to damaging the country's reputation and spreading false information online.
Front Line Defenders condemns this ruling and the judicial procedures involved as a complete failure of justice and a violation of freedom of expression.
The final appeal of Ahmed Mansoor against his ten year prison sentence is due to be heard on 24 December 2018 by the State Security Chamber of UAE's Federal Supreme Court. It is believed that the timing of the appeal hearing – on Christmas eve – is designed to reduce international focus on the human rights defender’s case. Family members have been informed they will not be permitted to attend the hearing and they do not know the lawyer who has been appointed to represent Ahmed Mansoor.
Ahmed Mansoor is an award winning human rights defender who was sentenced to ten years in prison on 29 May 2018 for social media posts criticizing human rights violations carried out by the Emirati government. Prior to his sentencing, he had been held in pre-trial detention for over a year. He was also fined 1 million dirhams (approximately EUR 233,000) and given three years probation to be served upon his release. He was convicted of “insulting the 'status and prestige of the UAE and its symbols' including its leaders” and of “seeking to damage the relationship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with its neighbours by publishing false reports and information on social media.”
Front Line Defenders utterly condemns the ten year sentence handed down to Ahmed Mansoor, which is directly related to his peaceful activism in defence of human rights. It calls on the Emirati authorities to immediately release the human rights defender and quash his conviction.
On 29 May 2018, human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for social media posts criticizing human rights violations carried out by the Emirati government. He had been held in pre-trial detention for more than a year. He was also fined 1 million dirhams (approximately EUR 233,000) and given three years probation to be served upon his release. He was convicted of “insulting the 'status and prestige of the UAE and its symbols' including its leaders” and of “seeking to damage the relationship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with its neighbours by publishing false reports and information on social media.”
Prior to his detention, Ahmed Mansoor regularly raised concerns on arbitrary detention, torture or ill or degrading treatment, failure to meet international standards for fair trials, non-independence of the judiciary, domestic laws that violate international law, and other violations of civil rights. In 2015, he won the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders as a result of his continued work on human rights despite a crackdown on human rights defenders in UAE.
On 20 March 2017, human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor was arrested at his home by United Arab Emirates (UAE) security forces. The UAE Information Technology (IT) Crimes Prosecution ordered that the human rights defender be detained pending investigation on charges that included disseminating false information to promote sedition, hatred, and damage to national unity. In the weeks leading up to his arrest, Mansoor had called for the release of the human rights activist Osama Al-Najjar as well as the prominent academic and economist Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith via his Twitter account. He had also signed a joint letter, along with other activists in the region, calling on Arab League leaders, meeting in March 2017 for the Arab Summit, for the release of all prisoners of conscience in the Middle East.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the imprisonment of Ahmed Mansoor and believes that it is solely related to his legitimate and peaceful work on the protection and promotion of human rights in the UAE.
UPDATE: On 11 April, the second hearing of the trial of Ahmed Mansoor took place. The human rights defender continues to be denied access to a lawyer and no details have been made available on the formal charges that he faces.
On 20 March 2017, human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor was arrested at his home by United Arab Emirates (UAE) security forces. The UAE Information Technology (IT) Crimes Prosecution ordered that the human rights defender be detained pending investigation on charges that include disseminating false information to promote sedition, hatred, and damage to national unity.
Download the Urgent Appeal (PDF)
On 20 March 2017 around midnight, twelve members of the UAE security forces arrested Ahmed Mansoor at his apartment in Ajman under orders from the Emirati IT Crimes Prosecution. According to sources, he was brought before the IT Crimes Prosecution for questioning in relation to his use of social media to “spread false information and rumors that promote sectarianism, sedition, hatred, damage to national unity, peace and social life, harm to the reputation of the State and its status, and the incitement of others not to abide by UAE laws”. In recent days the human rights defender called for the release of Emirati human rights activist Osama Al-Najjar via Twitter. His arrest may also be linked to a letter that he signed, along with other activists in the region, and addressed to Arab leaders meeting in Jordan at the Arab Summit, calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience in the Middle East.
Following the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, the UAE security forces thoroughly searched the home of the human rights defender and confiscated many of his belongings, including all computers and electronic equipment, some of which belonged to his children.
The authorities in the UAE have long targeted Ahmed Mansoor for his work on human rights. In 2011, he was jailed and banned from travelling following his involvement in a petition that called for democratic reform in the UAE. As a result of the petition, Ahmed Mansoor was jailed along with four others in connection with the online discussion forum, UAEHewar.net, in what became widely known as the UAE5 case. He was accused of publicly insulting the UAE leadership and was sentenced to three years imprisonment, but released following a presidential pardon after spending nearly eight months in jail. Since the UAE5 case, UAE authorities have failed to return Ahmed Mansoor’s passport and have banned him from travelling.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor and believes that it is solely related to his legitimate and peaceful work on the protection and promotion of human rights in the UAE.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in the UAE to:
1. Take all necessary measures to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed Mansoor and guarantee his physical and psychological security and integrity;
2. Ensure that the treatment of Ahmed Mansoor, while in detention, adheres to the conditions set out in the ‘Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;
3. Drop all charges against the human rights defender as they are motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights work, and return all of his possessions;
4. Allow human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor to move freely without undue restrictions within the GCC region, and return his passport immediately with a view to allowing him to travel outside the GCC region;
5. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the UAE are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
