United Arab Emirates (UAE): Further Information: Two siblings’ trial date set for 19 September
On 27 June Amina ‘Abdouli and her brother Mos’ab ‘Abdouli appeared before the Supreme Federal Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The court set 19 September for their next trial hearing. Their eldest brother Waleed ‘Abdouli was released on 14 March and their youngest sister Moza ‘Abdouli was acquitted on 30 May.
Further information on UA: 125/16 Index: MDE 25/4473/2016 United Arab emirates (UAE) Date: 18 July 2016
URGENT ACTION
TWO SIBLINGS’ TRIAL DATE SET FOR 19 SEPTEMBER
On 27 June Amina ‘Abdouli and her brother Mos’ab ‘Abdouli appeared before the
Supreme Federal Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The court set 19 September
for their next trial hearing. Their eldest brother Waleed ‘Abdouli was released on 14
March and their youngest sister Moza ‘Abdouli was acquitted on 30 May.
On 27 June, siblings Amina ‘Abdouli, 33, and Mos’ab ‘Abdouli, 25, appeared for the first time since their arrest
before the State Security Chamber of the Supreme Federal Court in the UAE. Amina ‘Abdouli is charged with
creating and running two Twitter accounts and publishing information with the aims of inciting hatred against the
State and disturbing public order; mocking and damaging the reputation of State institutions; publishing false
information about Saudi Arabia and making derogatory remarks about an Egyptian official with the aim of
endangering the State’s relations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Her brother Mos’ab ‘Abdouli was charged with
joining the non-state armed group Ahrar al-Sham in Syria prior to June 2013, and receiving military training. He
denied the charges. The court adjourned the trial to 19 September. The two siblings were moved to al-Wathba
prison in Abu Dhabi during the first week of July. Their eldest brother, Waleed ‘Abdouli, 35, was released without
charge on 14 March.
On 19 November 2015, State Security members arrested Amina and Mos’ab ‘Abdouli at their home in the north
eastern Emirate of Fujairah, along with their sister Moza ‘Abdouli, 18, and took them to an unknown location. On
29 November Waleed ‘Abdouli was also arrested by State Security members after speaking out against the arrest
of his siblings. The four siblings were held in detention in a secret location. In early April 2016 Moza ‘Abdouli
appeared before the State Security Chamber of the Supreme Federal Court for the first time and was acquitted on
30 May of insulting the UAE, its leaders, and its institutions in tweets she posted in March 2013, and released.
Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:
Calling on the UAE authorities to drop any charges against Amina and Mos’ad ‘Abdouli that stem from their
peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression;
Release Amina and Mos’ad ‘Abdouli unless they are charged with a recognisable criminal offense under
international standards and tried before an ordinary criminal court in accordance with international fair trial
standards, including the right to appeal, and without recourse to the death penalty;
Calling on them to ensure that the two siblings are protected from torture and other ill-treatment and given
prompt access to a lawyer, their family and any medical attention they may require.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 29 AUGUST 2016 TO:
Vice-President and Prime Minister
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid al-Maktoum
Prime Minister’s Office
PO Box: 212000
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 4 330 4044
Email: info@primeminister.ae
Twitter: @HHShkMoh
Salutation: Your Highness
Minister of Interior
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Zayed Sport City, Arab Gulf Street, Near
to Shaikh Zayed Mosque
POB: 398, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 2 402 2762/ +971 2 441 5780
Email: moi@moi.gov.ae
Salutation: Your Highness
And copies to:
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan
Crown Prince Court
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud Street, P.O. Box: 124
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 2 668 6622
Twitter: @MBZNews
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the second update of UA 125/16. Further information:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/4166/2016/en/
URGENT ACTION
TWO SIBLINGS’ TRIAL DATE SET FOR 19 SEPTEMBER
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Waleed ‘Abdouli, teacher and mother of five Amina ‘Abdouli, former high school student Moza ‘Abdouli, and their brother Mos’ab
‘Abdouli are the children of Mohammed Ahmed ‘Abdouli who was the head of the banned Emirati Umma Party and a former
Colonel of the UAE army. Mohammed Ahmed ‘Abdouli was arrested in 2005 and detained for about two years without trial. He
later travelled to Syria where he was the military adviser to the commander of operations of the non-state armed group, Ahrar
al-Sham, and was killed on 3 March 2013 in the town of al-Raqqa.
On 19 November 2015, Moza, Amina and Mos’ab ‘Abdouli were taken from their home in the village of al-Tayba, in the north
eastern Emirate of Fujairah, by plain clothed State Security members who did not show warrants and who searched the house
before detaining them. On 29 November Amina and Moza ‘Abdouli were allowed to phone their family but not to reveal their
whereabouts. The same day Waleed ‘Abdouli, was arrested by State Security members. Two days earlier he had made a
speech during Friday prayers in which he criticised the detention of his three siblings. They were all detained in undisclosed
locations.
On 4 April 2016 Moza ‘Abdouli appeared before the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court for the first time
since her arrest and was officially charged with insulting the UAE, its leaders, and its institutions in tweets she posted in March
2013 following her father’s death in Syria. In her tweets, Moza ‘Abdouli, aged 15 at the time, mourned the loss of her father. Two
other trial sessions took place on 2 and 16 May. During her trial she has stated that nothing she posted was intended to
discredit any person, government or institution. She should not have been brought before an adult court as her alleged offences
took place when she was under the age of 18. She was acquitted on 30 May and released.
Since 2011, the UAE authorities have mounted an unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression and association in the
country. The space for dissent has shrunk and many people, both Emiratis and non-Emiratis, who have criticised the UAE
government, its policies, and the human rights situation in the country have been harassed, arrested, tortured, or subjected to
unfair trial and imprisonment. The authorities have arrested, detained, and prosecuted more than 100 activists and critics of the
government, including prominent lawyers, judges, and academics, on broad and sweeping national security-related or
cybercrimes charges in proceedings that fail to meet international fair trial standards.
Despite certain safeguards in the UAE Constitution and laws, the rights of detainees upon arrest are routinely disregarded,
especially in cases where the State Security Agency (SSA) is involved. SSA officials generally arrest people without warrants,
then take them to unofficial secret detention facilities where they are kept for weeks or months without charge or access to legal
representation. Detainees are often tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Amnesty International has found that officials often ignore
for months families’ attempts to find out where detainees are held. Detainees held incommunicado or in undisclosed places of
detention are at heightened risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Such deprivation of liberty by state authorities who conceal an
individual’s whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law, is enforced disappearance, which is a crime under
international law.
Trials before the Federal Supreme Court cannot be appealed to a higher court, though international human rights law requires
that everyone convicted of a criminal offence has the right to have their conviction and sentence reviewed by a higher tribunal.
Article 101 of the UAE Constitution and Article 67 of the law concerning the Federal Supreme Court declare that its judgements
are final, binding and not open to challenge.
Name: Moza ‘Abdouli (f), Amina Abdouli (f), Mos’ab Abdouli (m), Waleed Abdouli (m)
Gender m/f: both
Further information on UA: 125/16 Index: MDE 25/4473/2016 Issue Date: 18 July 2016