4 Years Behind Bars: The unjust imprisonment of Nasser bin Ghaith

It has been four years since the arrest of prominent human rights activist and academic Dr Nasser bin Ghaith. 

In the dead of night, in August 2015, bin Ghaith was arrested at his home in Dubai by 13 plainclothes Emirati security officers. He went on to be held without charge for eight months in an unknown location. 

In March 2017, the distinguished Emirati economist was given a 10-year jail sentence for "communicating with secret organisations" and issuing "offensive online posts" on Twitter.

During the court session, bin Ghaith told the Judge he had been tortured and deprived of sleep by prison guards. To this day, the Emirati authorities have refused to conduct an independent investigation into these claims. 

Long-campaigning for his release, Amnesty International have described bin Ghaith as "a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned for the peaceful expression of his conscientiously held beliefs."