Send your birthday wishes to Ahmed Mansoor - Join the #TwitterStorm on 20 October

Next week, Ahmed Mansoor will spend his 51st birthday in prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ICFUAE encourages you to show your support for the prominent Emirati activist and award-winning human rights defender by wishing him a happy birthday, as well as calling for his immediate and unconditional release on 20 October by using the hashtags #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed and #FreeAhmed. 

His birthday will be a sorrowing day for his family as well as Ahmed himself, who has endured the mental and physical torment of permanent solitary confinement since his arrest on 20 March 2017. He was later sentenced to ten years in prison for “defaming the UAE through social media channels”. In the weeks before his arrest, Mansoor had criticized the UAE’s prosecutions of other activists for speech “crimes” and tweeted about rights violations in Egypt and Yemen.

During his time in detention, he has been subjected to beatings and mental abuse by prison warders. Two separate hunger strikes in protest against his ill-treatment and inhumane detention conditions have left him weak and vulnerable to the risks related to the coronavirus pandemic. 

 Here is what you can do to help: 

 On Tuesday 20 October you can join our Twitter storm and send your birthday wishes to Ahmed Mansoor in advance of his birthday which falls on Thursday 22 October.

Make noise on Twitter by using his Twitter Handle @Ahmed_Mansoor, as well as using Emirati officials handles such as: @SaifBZayed, @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed. Also,  make sure your birthday wishes include the hashtag #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed and #FreeAhmed.

Please invite your friends and followers to join the campaign in raising awareness for him. 

Create your own tweets or use the suggestions below: 
 

1. We’re sending our warmest #BirthdayWishes4Ahemd Mansoor an Emirati #HRD, poet & father of four. Detained in solitary confinement since 2017, he is currently serving a grossly unjust 10-year sentence for his legitimate criticism of the #UAE’s human rights record. #FreeAhmed.

2. Urging #UAE rulers to release #PrisonerOfConscience @Ahmed_Mansoor who, under oppressive cybercrime laws, was sentenced to 10 years for critical posts on social media. As we send #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed, we worry for his health and safety during the #COVID19 pandemic. #FreeAhmed

3. We’re sending #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed, who is about to spend yet another birthday unjustly imprisoned in the #UAE. Torture, 2 hunger strikes and extensive solitary confinement have left him weak and in ill health. We urge @SaifBZayed, @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed to #FreeAhmed

4. .@Ahmed_Mansoor was arrested on 20 March 2017 for peacefully expressing concerns for #HumanRights in the #UAE. Since, he’s been held in abysmal conditions, deprived of sunlight and fresh air. Today marks 3 years 7 months since his arrest. Join us & urge the #UAE to #FreeAhmed.

5. Instead of spending his 51st birthday with his family, Ahmed Mansoor is unjustly imprisoned in the #UAE, in direct reprisal against his peaceful activism. We call on UAE rulers @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd to #FreeAhmed and we send our #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed!

6. Ahmed Mansoor is a prominent Emirati activist & winner of the 2015 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. He’s been jailed since March 2017, solely for his peaceful and legitimate activism. Today, 3 years and 7 months later, we urge the #UAE government to #FreeAhmed!  

7. #HumanRights activist Ahmed Mansoor is a #PrisonerOfConscience in the #UAE. Held in inhumane conditions, Ahmed has been forced to sleep on the floor for over three years. We call for his release on his 51st birthday this Thursday. #FreeAhmed. 

8. #UAE: Immediately & unconditionally release #PrisonerOfConscience Ahmed Mansoor who, under draconian laws, was sentenced to 10 years for tweets advocating for human rights. This week is his 51st birthday. Please join us & send #BirthdayWishes4Ahmed!

9. #UAE: Since his arrest, @Ahmed_Mansoor has been subjected to permanent solitary confinement and deprived of basic amenities, such as a bed, in #AbuDhabi’s Al-Sadr prison. Join us & urge @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed to immediately and unconditionally #FreeAhmed. 

10. .@Ahmed_Mansoor should be celebrating his 51st birthday with his family, instead he remains a #PrisonerOfConscience. Ahmed is serving 10 years simply for tweeting about #HumanRights violations in the #UAE. We urge #UAE authorities to #FreeAhmed