By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Human Rights Watch has just released a report criticizing the United Arab Emirates for their treatment of ninety-four detainees. The poor treatment has impacted the detainees health and may have a further detriment to the administration of their justice.

The defendant detainees reported serious mistreatment. They had reported being held in solitary confinement for extended periods of time. Additionally, they faced constant exposure to fluorescent lights, which served to deprive them asleep. Furthermore, they were subjected to inadequate heating, and “hooding and blindfolding” whenever they were transported. Other detainees even reported being punched repeatedly and denied medical care.

The ninety-four detainees are all being held on state security charges of attempting to overthrow the government. The group of defendants included academics, doctors, lawyers, and judges who were believed to have developed a covert network to raise money in order to stage a coup. The ninety-four detainees are allegedly members of the Islamist group al-Islah and have supposed ties to the Muslim Brotherhood who were allegedly providing knowledge and money for the coup.

Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish has said that, “they launched, established and ran an organisation seeking to oppose the basic principles of the UAE system of governance and to seize power.”

Eighty-four of which were marshaled into court to make their pleas. All eighty-four pleaded not guilty. Twelve of these eighty-four individuals were women. The charges were largely based on two confessions that were allegedly extorted under duress of two of the detainees.

Ahmed al-Suweidi, one of the two men who had previously confessed, proclaimed his innocence and begged to the court that, “I know that what I’m going say may cost my life, but I deny the charges and I ask the court to protect my life and the life of my family.” There is a serious fear amongst human rights groups that these detainees are not given the opportunity to receive a fair trial. Evidence cannot be utilized that was manufactured under duress.

The UAE authorities kept a bunch of journalists and other international spectators from entering the courtroom. Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, Sarah Leah Whitson astutely observed that “The UAE authorities seem intent on keeping this trial as much under wraps as they can.”

The prosecutors are due to introduce their first witnesses when the trial continues on March 18th.

For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – UAE: Ensure Safety of 94 on Trial – 11 March 2013

NPR – Rights Group: UAE Must Investigate Torture Claims – 11 March 2013

CNN – Trials of 94 Detainees Accused of Plotting to Overthrow Government Start in UAE – 5 March 2013

Al Akhbar – 94 Defendants Plead ‘not Guilty’ of Attempted Coup in UAE Trial – 4 March 2013