Acts of reprisal against human rights defenders

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights has reported that the prominent human rights activist Ahmed Mansour is among the dozens of human rights defenders in the Arab Gulf facing reprisals from the authorities.

The report entitled "Freedom is in danger: the reprisals against human rights defenders in the Gulf region and neighbouring countries" has documented reprisals against human rights defenders in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The report said that the human rights defender and prominent blogger Ahmed Mansour was exposed to several reprisals along with other fellow defenders in the UAE.

It also pointed out that Ahmed Mansoor is a member of the Advisory Board of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and he was arrested among what is known as "UAE 5" detainees in 2011. He is also a former member of theHuman Rights Watch Advisory Board.

He made great contribution in many human rights-related international forums and events. As a result, he was exposed to many harassments, intimidations and death threats from the state security Force. He had his passport  confiscated in 2011 and despite his release and the drop of charges against him, the authorities refused to give him back his passport.

In October 2015, he received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, but was unable to travel to Geneva to receive the award because of the travel ban imposed on him.

The report concluded with several recommendations as to urge the human rights bodies of the United Nations, including the Human Rights Council and UN member states to take immediate action to combat acts of reprisal by State authorities, to provide basic protection and prevention guidelines for human rights defenders at risk, to conduct an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into acts of vengeance, and to consider the establishment of a unit that would tackle reprisal issues.