About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

Alerts - United Arab Emirates

---

United Arab Emirates / Comoros

Stateless blogger facing deportation after being tricked by immigration authorities

Ahmed Abdul Khaleq is currently being held in Abu Dhabi’s Al-Wathba prison, but is due to be deported to Comoros under a 2009 agreement between the United Arab Emirates and the Indian Ocean island nation.

United Arab Emirates

Expanded crackdown on members of peaceful Islamist group

The new arrests, of Saleh al-Dhufairi and Salem Sahooh, bring to 11 the total number of detained members of the group, the Reform and Social Guidance Association (al-Islah), since late March 2012.

United Arab Emirates

Reform activist arrested following publication of critical article

Sheikh Sultan Bin Kayed Al Qassimi was arrested following the publication of an article where he defended the "UAE 7", the seven citizens who had their citizenships revoked by the authorities following their call for reform.

United Arab Emirates

Activists arrested, face deportation

Six activists whose citizenship was revoked by the government have been asked to pledge to take on another nationality. They were arrested following their refusal to commit to such a pledge.

United Arab Emirates

Authorities order closure of American, German pro-democracy organisations

The Dubai office of the National Democratic Institute and the Abu Dhabi office of The Konrad Adenauer Foundation were closed following government orders in what appears to be a growing crackdown on critical voices.

United Arab Emirates

Arrests, threats plague activists and bloggers

Ahmed Ghaith Al Suwaidi and Ahmed Yousef Buatabh Zaabi were arrested on 26 March, without a warrant, and are being held in detention.

United Arab Emirates

Activist arrested for criticising governor of Sharjah

Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Al-Siddiq, one of seven activists who has had his nationality revoked, was arrested after he published a statement on his Twitter page criticizing the latest statements by the Governor of Sharjah, Sultan Al Qassimi.

United Arab Emirates

Activist released on bail, still facing charges

Saleh al-Dhafeery was released on bail after being arrested in March on charges of sedition, and harming national unity and social peace.

United Arab Emirates

Activist arrested following criticism of authorities

Saleh al-Dhafeery was arrested on 5 March 2011 after expressing critical opinions of the regime in general and the State Security in particular during a talk show on al-Hiwar TV channel.

United Arab Emirates

Authorities urged to stop expelling Syrian protesters

The government revoked the residency permits of about 50 Syrians who participated in a peaceful protest on 10 February, giving them 10 days to leave the country.

United Arab Emirates

Authorities deport Syrian activists after peaceful demonstration against al-Assad regime

Two hundred activists were stripped of their residency visas after they protested in front of the Syrian consulate in Dubai.

United Arab Emirates / Kuwait

"UAE 5" activist denied entry into Kuwait

Travelling with human rights lawyer Abdel Hameed AlKameety, Ahmed Mansoor was prevented from entering the country "on the instructions of the Emirati security service," and was threatened with detention.

United Arab Emirates

"UAE 5" still face restrictions after pardon

After eight months in prison, and a trial riddled with inconsistencies, the group still face challenges from authorities such as travel restrictions and a refusal to expunge their records.

United Arab Emirates

Activists planning hunger strike

The activists said the hunger strike will continue until authorities release them unconditionally and end all judicial proceedings against them.

United Arab Emirates

ANHRI urges authorities to investigate death threats against detained blogger, activist

The threats against Ahmed Mansoor followed the launch of an organised defamation campaign aimed at portraying him as a traitor to his country.

United Arab Emirates

Concern for well-being of detained blogger

ANHRI has received information that Ahmed Mansour is being mistreated in detention and has recently faced attempts by fellow prisoners to incite him to violence.

Mauritania / United Arab Emirates

ANHRI condemns blocking of newspaper's website after UAE intervention

The website of "El Badil Al Thalith" was blocked as a result of pressure from Emirati authorities on the hosting company after it published a series of articles criticising Arab leaders.

United Arab Emirates

Call for end to trial of five pro-democracy activists

The charges of "humiliating" top officials relate solely to the defendants' peaceful use of speech to criticise the UAE government and therefore violate their freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said.

United Arab Emirates

ANHRI condemns blogger's extended detention

Ahmed Mansour has been illegally detained since he was picked up by secret police in April 2011.

United Arab Emirates

Detained activists face charges for signing petition demanding reforms

The activists are being held pending investigation on charges of "incitement to break the law, endangering the country's security, insulting the president and insulting the governor of Dubai".

United Arab Emirates

Three outspoken rights activists detained

The Guggenheim, New York University and the French Museum Agency should urge the immediate release of the activists in what appears to be a politically motivated campaign of intimidation against political reformers, Human Rights Watch said.

United Arab Emirates

Civilian detained for speaking out in support of Egyptian revolution

The authorities detained Hasan Mohamed elHamady after he spoke out in support of Egyptians' demands that Mubarak step down.

United Arab Emirates

Independent news site blocked less than a year after its launch

According to ANHRI, the Emirates Local News site was blocked after it posted news that the government wanted to conceal from its citizens.

United Arab Emirates

RSF concerned about lack of transparency in BlackBerry deal

"Transparency is needed so that smartphone users can trust BlackBerry technology and freedom of information can be guaranteed in the UAE," says RSF.

United Arab Emirates

CPJ calls on the UAE to end journalist's 13-month ordeal

Freelance journalist Mark Townsend was charged with criminal defamation in relation to postings that appeared on a consumer review website criticising the "Khaleej Times" newspaper.

United Arab Emirates

CPJ alarmed by UAE decision to suspend BlackBerry functionality

UAE says the issue is about bringing BlackBerry services in line with local telecom regulations, but many feel it's an attempt to control and monitor the free flow of information.

United Arab Emirates

Wave of arrests of BlackBerry Messenger users

The users of BlackBerry Messenger allegedly tried to organise a protest against an increase in the price of gasoline.

United Arab Emirates

Telephone regulator issues threatening statement regarding use of BlackBerry smartphones

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority warned that the use of BlackBerry smartphones posed a potential threat to national security.

United Arab Emirates

Authorities block access to online magazine

"The authorities are using illegal means to achieve their ends," RSF said.

United Arab Emirates

Authorities plan to monitor cybercafé Internet users

"The real reason for this decision is obviously the desire to keep files on the country's netizens, watch them and push them into self-censorship," notes RSF

United Arab Emirates

Website blocked for two days by Ministry

The Save Egypt Front website manager received a message from the Ministry of Communication informing him that the blocking was due to technical glitches that had been resolved.

United Arab Emirates

Access to independent online discussion forum blocked

Some contributors to the UAE Hewar forum believe authorities are blocking it in order to discover the identity of the site's owners.

United Arab Emirates

Court closes independent website for one month, upholds fine on editor

Case being used to intimidate others thinking of raising corruption issues, says RSF.

United Arab Emirates

Activist dismissed from job for criticising human rights situation

ANHRI considers the dismissal of human rights activist Muhammad Ali Mansouri to be a serious violation of freedom of expression.

Pakistan / United Arab Emirates

Pakistani government pressures UAE to block television programme

The popular programme was prevented from being telecast on the night of 23 November 2009 from the Dubai studios of Geo TV.

United Arab Emirates

News website owner and editor fined in defamation suit

The owner and editor of the Hetta.com news website are appealing a fine imposed by the state-controlled Abu Dhabi Media Company.

United Arab Emirates

Telecommunications company urged to restore access to newspaper website

RSF has written to Etisalat, a telecommunications services provider based in the United Arab Emirates, voicing concern about access to a newspaper website and alleged use of spyware on Blackberry phones.

United Arab Emirates

Federal Court of Appeal upholds sentence against editor and newspaper

The Federal Court of Appeal has decided to uphold a conviction temporarily suspending "Emarat Alyoum" newspaper and fining editor Sami al-Araimi.

United Arab Emirates

Two French magazines censored

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns the distribution bans imposed on recent issues of two French magazines, "Jeune Afrique" and "Afrique Magazine", at the behest of the information ministry in Abu Dhabi because of articles regarded as offensive or overly critical.

United Arab Emirates

Draft media law undermines free expression, says Human Rights Watch report

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a 13 April 2009 Human Rights Watch press release:

United Arab Emirates

ANHRI concerned over passage of media regulation law

(ANHRI/IFEX) - ANHRI has followed with deep concern and disappointment the passage of the law for regulation of the media by the Federal National Council during its last session on 20 January 2009. ANHRI feels that this has been done without regard for differing opinions and a total rejection of concerned media professionals and interested parties within the community. These concerns have been repeatedly voiced since the legislation was leaked to a local newspaper and published on 22 September 2008. The newspaper received a warning from the national council for media as a consequence.

United Arab Emirates

Newspaper suspended and fined after reporting on horse-racing scandal

(ANHRI/IFEX)- On 19 November 2008, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned an order handed down on 18 November by the Abu Dhabi court of appeal suspending the "Emarat Alyoum" newspaper for defamation. The court also fined the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Sami Al-Alraymi, 20,000 dirham (approx. US$5,400) and the newspaper 500,000 dirham (approx. US$136,000).

United Arab Emirates

Deliberate blocking, "accidental" blocking and filtering all pose threat to online free expression, says RSF

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders is concerned about online free expression in the United Arab Emirates following recent comments by leading Internet sector officials. The spokesman for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), which oversees the UAE's Internet, said on 17 October 2008 that the authority was considering "deliberately blocking" access to part of the social networking website Facebook.

United Arab Emirates / Pakistan

UAE allows one Pakistani TV station to resume broadcasting but government continues to block signal; two radio stations still censored in Pakistan

(RSF/IFEX) - On 30 November 2007, Reporters Without Borders wrote to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf asking him to quickly rescind his ban on the Geo TV group's various television stations and two independent radio stations, Power99 FM and Mast Fm 103.

United Arab Emirates

CAPSULE REPORT: Freedom of expression violations continue despite end to imprisonment for press crimes

(HRinfo/IFEX) - The following is an abridged HRinfo report:

United Arab Emirates

Owner of Majan.net website avoids prison on appeal

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF welcomes an appeal court decision overturning a 17-month jail sentence imposed in November 2006 on Mohammed Rashed Shehhi, owner of the website Majan.net ( http://majan.net/ ) for allegedly defamatory comments.

United Arab Emirates / Pakistan

Station owner harassed, financial losses severe as ban on television stations continue

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a Human Rights Watch press release:

United Arab Emirates / Pakistan

Two Pakistani television channels broadcasting from Dubai ordered off the air

(PPF/IFEX) - The government of Pakistan pressured the government of United Arab Emirates to close down two leading private television networks on 16 November 2007. According to Geo TV, the authorities in Dubai had asked the network's administration to close down its operations by midnight (local time) on 16 November. The network further said no reason had been given for the move. A senior member of the network said that the channel had been ordered to go off the air as a result of the continued deadlock between the Pakistani authorities and the broadcasters, following the imposition of emergency measures in the country.

United Arab Emirates

Court overturns journalists' convictions on libel charges; website owner fined, given suspended sentence

(RSF/IFEX) - On 8 November 2007, Reporters Without Borders welcomed a Dubai appeal court's decision to overturn the convictions of Shimba Kassiril Ganjadahran, the former editor of the English-language "Khaleej Times", and one of his reporters, Mohsen Rashed, on charges of libel. The two journalists had been sentenced on 24 September to two months in prison for a story about a Dubai woman's lawsuit against her husband that led to his imprisonment.

United Arab Emirates

Prime minister decriminalises press offences

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 26 September 2007 IFJ media release:

1 2