This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
December 22, 2019
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of taking punitive measures against relatives of dissidents, including revoking their citizenships and banning them from travel.
The UAE government has revoked the citizenship of 19 relatives of two dissidents and at least 30 relatives of six dissidents are barred from leaving the country, according to a report by HRW.
"The UAE authorities, in their determination to crush dissent, have allowed their state security apparatus to use its near-unchecked power to continually punish the families of activists, both detained and living abroad," said Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW.
HRW documented cases of harassment involving the relatives of eight dissidents, some of whom are serving long-term jail sentences in the Emirates while the others have fled the country and live abroad.
Between 2013 and 2019, the relatives of all eight dissidents faced restrictions on their access to jobs and higher education, and were prevented from renewing their identity documents, HRW said.
"The most egregious abuses are arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and torture," HRW added, citing a sustained assault on freedom of expression and association since 2011.
