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Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has expressed deep concern over the UAE Federal Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the convictions in the "UAE 84" case. This ruling not only reinforces an unjust verdict but also highlights the executive branch’s troubling influence over the judiciary in a country long criticized for its human rights abuses. The decision reflects a continued pattern of repression and lack of justice for those attempting to voice dissent in the UAE.
On April 4, 2025, the State Security Chamber reaffirmed the July 2024 ruling, sentencing more than half of the defendants to life imprisonment. In addition to the 43 life sentences issued, 10 individuals received prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years for alleged "collaboration with Islah" and money laundering under the UAE’s anti-terrorism law. While 24 others have completed their sentences, authorities have refused to release them, and the Supreme Court has adjourned their case until April 8.
WJWC asserts that Abu Dhabi is misusing anti-terrorism legislation to suppress freedom of opinion, expression, and civil society, violating its obligations under international humanitarian law. This strategy reveals a repressive regime that persecutes its citizens, silences dissent, and undermines the principles of justice and human rights.
History of Repression and Unfair Trials
Most of the individuals involved in this case had already spent a decade in prison on alleged national security offenses under the Penal Code. They were originally tried en masse in the "UAE 94" case and handed lengthy prison sentences in July 2013 for political activism. Among them were prominent human rights lawyers Dr. Mohammed al-Roken and Dr. Mohammed al-Mansoori, alongside dozens of other lawyers, journalists, writers, and activists who had signed a petition for political reforms on March 3, 2011.
Despite completing their sentences, these detainees remain imprisoned under new charges, a practice that violates the principle of double jeopardy and fundamental legal standards. WJWC warns that the UAE judiciary’s subservience to executive authority undermines both domestic and international laws guaranteeing the right to a fair trial.
Opaque Legal Proceedings and Unsubstantiated Charges
The recent allegations against these individuals—accusing them of forming and supporting a terrorist organization—are linked to the Justice and Dignity Committee, founded between 2010 and 2011. Authorities claim the committee aimed to educate Emiratis about their fundamental rights, yet no official documents regarding the case have been made public. The Emirati Detainees Advocacy Center has pointed to earlier court proceedings as evidence of ongoing judicial abuses.
WJWC has raised alarms over the UAE government’s attempts to portray itself as a progressive state while actively deepening its human rights crisis. Beneath its modern facade, the country maintains an archaic judicial system that continues to stifle civil society and political dissent.
UAE’s Defiance of International Human Rights Standards
Despite global appeals for their release, including calls from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UAE has denied UN rapporteurs access to the country since 2014. Additionally, the government has rejected requests to observe the trial sessions of the defendants in the "UAE 84" case, further obscuring the judicial process from international scrutiny.
WJWC asserts that these arrests and prosecutions should never have occurred. Subjecting human rights defenders to torture and unfair trials for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, as well as for advocating for their communities, is a direct violation of both local laws and international conventions.
In response, WJWC urges the international community and the UAE’s allies, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union member states, to take decisive action. The organization calls on these nations, along with international civil society organizations, to pressure the UAE to release all human rights defenders and cease using legal frameworks as tools of repression.
Furthermore, WJWC demands that specialized UN committees be granted access to all political detainees and human rights defenders in both official and private prisons. Independent investigators must be allowed to document violations, including instances of torture, and ensure detainees are treated in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
WJWC remains committed to advocating for justice and holding the UAE accountable for its systematic human rights violations, emphasizing that the world must not remain silent in the face of escalating repression.
