On Tuesday 17 September 2024 at 1 p.m. in the Peace Palace (Room XXV) in Geneva, a side event will feature Joey Shea, Researcher at Human Rights Watch, Ahmed al-Nuaimi, defendant in the UAE 94 trial, and Matthew Hedges, a British academic held in solitary confinement for nearly seven months. The panel will address serious concerns about arbitrary detention and the repression of civil society in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In January 2024, a group of UN Special Rapporteurs raised concerns with the UAE government about the fate and whereabouts of individuals recently charged under a broad and ambiguous definition of counter-terrorism. While the UAE has provided some response, it has yet to offer a substantive reply to these requests. Similarly, in July 2024, UN experts expressed concern over the life sentences imposed on 43 individuals, including human rights defenders and activists, with no further clarification from the authorities.
This event, chaired by Thierry Valle, President of CAP Freedom of Conscience, aims to shed light on the ongoing arbitrary detention crisis in the UAE, examine the country’s compliance with its international legal obligations, and propose actionable steps for the international community.
