UAE Federal Supreme Court Sentences 24 Defendants to Life Imprisonment in Controversial Mass Trial

UAE Federal Supreme Court Sentences 24 Defendants to Life Imprisonment in Controversial Mass Trial
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The Criminal Chamber of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Federal Supreme Court overturned previous dismissals and sentenced 24 defendants to life imprisonment in a mass trial widely criticized for serious due process violations, Human Rights Watch reported. This ruling increased the total number of convictions in the case to 83, with 67 defendants now serving life sentences.

The defendants were originally charged under the UAE’s 2014 counterterrorism law, accused of involvement with the Justice and Dignity Committee, an independent advocacy group formed in 2010. The charges, announced in December 2023 during the COP28 climate conference, stem from allegations of establishing a clandestine terrorist organization. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have condemned the trial as fundamentally unfair, citing restricted access to case materials, limited legal assistance, judicial interference, and credible reports of abuse and ill-treatment.

In July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court convicted 53 defendants and sentenced them to terms ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. The court initially dismissed cases against 24 others, but the attorney general appealed, leading to the recent life sentences.

Many of the defendants, including prominent activists Ahmed Mansoor and Nasser bin Ghaith, were already serving sentences from earlier unfair trials, notably the 2013 “UAE94” case. Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate overturning of these convictions and the release of all defendants, emphasizing that the charges are based solely on peaceful activism and violate fundamental human rights.