Five men were arbitrarily detained and subsequently sentenced to prison terms in connection
with criticism of the government and for calling for reforms, then released under
a presidential pardon. The authorities replaced the executive boards of four NGOs
who joined in a call for direct elections. Women continued to face discrimination
in law and in practice. Foreign migrant workers, particularly women domestic workers,
were inadequately protected against exploitation and abuse by their employers. The
government refused to co-operate with UN human rights bodies. Death sentences continued
to be imposed and there was at least one execution.
The government acted to head off possible protests prompted by uprisings elsewhere
in the region, pledging to provide “dignified living conditions” and announcing large
increases in pensions for former members of the armed forces as well as rice and bread
subsidies. In February, the government increased the number of people eligible to
vote in the second national election for the 20 seats of the 40-member Federal National
Council that are elected; the other 20 seats are appointed. In March, over 130 people
co-signed a petition to the President and ruling council calling for free elections
based on universal suffrage and for the Federal National Council to be given legislative
powers. In November, the President promised greater rights to citizens.
People who criticized the government or friendly states were liable to arrest.
Hassan Mohammed Hassan al-Hammadi, a board member of the Teachers’ Association, was
arrested on 4 February and reportedly charged with “disturbing public security” for
publicly supporting pro-reform demonstrators in Egypt. He was held at the State Security
headquarters in Abu Dhabi, then released on 17 February to await trial, which began
in November.
Six people associated with the UAE Hewar online discussion forum, which was blocked
by the UAE authorities, were arrested in April. One was released after a week, but
the others – known as the “UAE 5” – were brought to trial in June on criminal defamation
charges relating to articles posted on UAE Hewar. The five – Ahmed Mansoor, a human
rights activist and blogger; Nasser bin Ghaith, a university lecturer and advocate
of political reform; and online activists Fahad Salim Dalk, Ahmed Abdul-Khaleq and
Hassan Ali al-Khamis – were prisoners of conscience. Initially, their trial was held
behind closed doors. Subsequently, international observers, including a lawyer who
went to the UAE on behalf of Amnesty International and other international NGOs, were
allowed to observe the trial. On 22 November, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
found that Ahmed Mansoor had been arbitrarily detained because of his “peaceful exercise
of the right to freedom of opinion and expression” and that he faced an unfair trial.
It called on the government to release him and provide adequate reparation. On 27
November, however, Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to three years in prison and the other
four to two years. All were released the following day under a presidential pardon,
although their criminal records remained.
In April, the Ministry of Social Affairs took action against four NGOs that had signed
a joint letter earlier that month calling for reforms. The Ministry replaced with
government appointees the executive boards of the Jurists’ Association, the Teachers’
Association and two other organizations.
In December, the government stripped six men of their UAE citizenship, citing security
concerns and their alleged links to an Islamist group. Some of them had signed the
March petition to the President. Another man had reportedly been stripped of his UAE
citizenship 10 months earlier for similar reasons.
Women continued to face discrimination in law and in practice, and to face gender-based
violence, including within the family. The government made little or no progress in
implementing the CEDAW Committee’s recommendation in early 2010 that it take comprehensive
measures to protect women from domestic violence.
Foreign migrant workers were inadequately protected against exploitation and abuse
by their employers. In February, it was reported that migrants who had lost their
jobs in the construction industry were stranded in the UAE because their employer
had not paid them or still held their passports. Many were living in abject conditions
in labour camps.
Foreign women employed as domestic workers were particularly vulnerable; many were
reported to work long hours for little pay and to be abused by employers or their
sponsors in the UAE. A government report issued in September stated that at least
900 domestic workers who had fled the residences of their sponsors had been detained
by the authorities in Dubai in the previous eight months.
In December, the International Trade Union Confederation criticized the UAE’s Labour
Law for not permitting trade unions to exist or to function freely; for denying the
right to collective bargaining and to strike; and for giving the Labour Minister the
power to unilaterally end strikes and force people back to work.
Death sentences continued to be passed. One execution was known to have been carried
out; in February, a man convicted of the rape and murder of a child was executed by
firing squad in Dubai. This was believed to be the first execution since 2008.
The death sentences imposed on 17 Indian nationals after they were convicted of murder
in 2010 were set aside when they agreed to pay diyah (blood money) to the victim, although failure to agree the amount to be paid meant
that they were not released.
