UIA-IROL Deplores Confirmation of Unfair Conviction in “UAE84” Mass Trial Defendants, Including that of Lawyer Mohammed al-Roken

The Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL) has learnt with dismay that, on 4 March 2025, the Federal Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejected all appeals submitted by defendants in the mass trial against dozens of Emirati human rights defenders and political dissidents known as “UAE84” [1]. The Supreme Court therefore upheld the severe convictions handed down in July 2024, including the life sentence imposed on lawyer Dr. Mohammed al-Roken.

UIA-IROL is gravely concerned by this decision, which eliminates the defendants’ final opportunity to challenge these unjust convictions.

Dr. Mohammed Abdullah al-Roken is an Emirati lawyer, a member of the UIA, the former president of the Emirates Jurists Association, and a member of the International Bar Association. His active commitment in defending human rights in UAE was recognised by the Alkarama Prize for Human Rights Defenders in 2012 and the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights Prize in 2017. He also has written several books on human rights, counter-terrorism laws, and freedom of expression.

Dr. Al-Roken was initially arbitrarily arrested on 17 July 2012, in the midst of a series of mass arrests of human rights activists, judges, intellectuals and student community leaders. The arrests were linked to the signing of a petition calling for reforms to bring greater democratisation to the UAE in March 2011. Besides that, according to sources, other activities may also have influenced the arrests and convictions. Dr. Al-Roken’s arrest took place after he provided legal assistance to victims of human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates, including to other human rights defenders. Following his arrest, Dr. Al-Roken was detained in solitary confinement at an undisclosed location for 8 months, without access to his lawyer and his family, and was subjected to ill-treatment. In 2013, after a grossly unfair mass trial known as UAE94, Dr. Al-Roken was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and was denied the right to appeal the judgment. He completed his sentence in July 2022 but his detention was extended as he, allegedly, continued to pose a “terrorist threat”. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinions in 2014 (Opinion No. 60/2013) and 2023  (Opinion No 19/2023) on his case, concluding on both occasions that his detention was arbitrary, and advised immediate release and reparation.

In December 2023, Dr. M. al-Roken was among the 84 Emirati individuals charged with establishing, back in 2010, a “terrorist organization”, namely the Justice and Dignity Committee, as well as supporting and funding this organization. The charges were reportedly brought in accordance with the UAE’s Counter-Terrorism Law adopted in 2014. This new legislation had been internationally criticized [2] as having serious effects on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental liberties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The charges 84 individuals faced in 2023 were therefore a breach of the principle of non-retroactivity of criminal law. What is more, these new charges concerned effectively the same acts (i.e. involvement with the Justice and Dignity Committee) the 2013 convictions referred to, and for which Dr. Al-Roken, as well as most of the defendants in the UAE84 case, had already served prison.

UN experts and human rights groups repeatedly and extensively denounced the numerous irregularities and abuses observed within the “UAE84” trial, including violations of fair trial and due process rights, as well as credible allegations of ill-treatment and abusive detention conditions against the defendants [3].

Despite all these international reports and positions calling for respect for fundamental human rights, on 10 July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal issued extremely severe convictions against the defendants. 43 of the accused, including Dr. Mohammed al-Roken, were given life sentences. Prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, awarded with the 2015 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. At that time, UN special mandate holders expressed their shock at the harsh convictions, recalling that “(t)hese individuals should never have been detained in the first place for legitimately exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms”. They further stated that “(t)argeting human rights defenders with long jail terms destroys lives, families and communities. States should end this unjustifiable, indefensible and contemptible practice immediately and forever”.

The Supreme Court’s decision of 4 March 2025 to confirm the harsh and unfair verdict appears as another blatant attempt to silence dissenting voices in UAE, particularly those who denounce human rights violations in the country. The detentions, the proceedings and the context of these prosecutions raise further and grave concerns about systematic human rights violations as well as the misuse of counter-terrorism laws to criminalize activities in defence of human rights as well as the peaceful and legitimate exercise of the freedoms of expression and association [4].

UIA-IROL calls again [5] upon UAE relevant authorities to immediately and unconditionally release prominent human rights lawyer and defender Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken as well as all other Emirati human rights defenders unfairly persecuted, and vacate any convictions and sentences imposed on them. In addition, all acts of intimidations against them should immediately cease.

UIA-IROL urges UAE authorities to take all necessary measures to bring its counter-terrorism legislation in line with international standards in order to prevent any potential use as a tool of persecution of human rights defenders.

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[1] The number refers of the number of defendants in the case.
[2] See, for instance, see here the 2020 communication issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
[3] See notably here, here, here, here, and here.
[4] See for instance here.
[5] See some previous statements available here, here and here.