Mohammed Al-Roken held beyond release date for 170 days

Emirati human rights defender Mohammed Al-Roken continued to be held in UAE jails behind his release date for more than 170 days.

Dr Al-Roken is a pre-eminent Emirati human rights lawyer, who dedicated his life to defending those facing human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

On 17th July 2022,  Al-Roken completes his 10-year prison sentence he received over his legal assistance to victims of human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates.

An award-winning academic and professor of constitutional law, he notably represented the group of human rights activists (“the UAE 5”) that was convicted and later pardoned for running a website criticising the UAE government.

For speaking out and protecting the fundamental freedoms of others, Dr Al-Roken paid a hefty price. On 2nd July 2013, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi as part of the mass trial of proponents of democratic reform (“the UAE 94”).