Son of Advisor to Former Egyptian President Disappears after Completion of Sentence in UAE
Mosaab Abdul Aziz, the son of an adviser to a former Egyptian president has disappeared after the completion of his 3 year prison sentence in the UAE. He was detained without charge for a year and a half, before being sentenced to 3 years imprisonment followed by deportation to be completed on October 20th 2017.
The family had pleaded with the UAE authorities to deport him to an alternate country rather than Egypt, for fear of him suffering further reprisals on arrival to the country. The Emirati Government did not comply with this, despite him being entitled to this according to the guidelines of his sentence.
His family repeatedly phoned al-Wathba prison in the UAE for information regarding his release, the results of these phone calls are as follows: Mosaab's travel clearance to leave the prison as scheduled on the 20th October was delayed due to “missing” papers and on Monday, 23rd of October the family was told that Mosaab will be allowed to travel no sooner than November 7th. On the 6th November the family called the prison to confirm his flight on the following day and were told had already been deported to Egypt.
Neither the Egyptian nor the Emirati authorities are providing any information regarding his whereabouts.
The case of Mosaab Abdul Aziz is a further indication of the lack of transparency and accountability that so often governs the Emirati judicial system. It is imperative that UAE officials work closely with the Abdul Aziz family to ensure that Mosaab's whereabouts is made clear and that his rights are being properly protected.
Additionally, the fact that the UAE authorities violated the guidelines of Mosaab's sentence by deporting him to Egypt, where he is almost certain to be in considerable danger, is a further demonstration of Emirati governments complete disregard for the basic rights of those within their borders. It is yet another example of the narrow interests of the Emirati regime being prioritised over basic human rights considerations. The case of Mosaab Abdul Aziz is symptomatic of a much broader narrative concerning systematic human rights violations in the United Arab Emirates.
- The family are available for comment or interview. For more information or comments on this story, please contact joe@icfuae.org.uk or +44 7979 6666 98
- For more on the case of Mosaab Abdul Aziz, please see https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/20/uae-egyptian-detainee-alleges-brutal-torture
