Twitter storm: Call for the immediate release of Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor on his 4th anniversary in prison

ICFUAE invites you to join us on Twitter on Saturday, 20 March as we call for the release of Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, who is unjustly imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). March 20, 2021 marks the four-year anniversary of Ahmed Mansoor’s arbitrary arrest for his peaceful dissent. 

Who is Ahmed Mansoor?

Ahmed Mansoor is a prominent human rights defender who has worked extensively with international rights organisations to raise awareness of human rights abuses in the UAE. He serves on the advisory boards of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) Middle East division. In 2015, Mansoor won the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders for all of his efforts in the field of human rights. 

On 20 March 2017, he was arrested in a midnight raid on his home and later sentenced to ten years in prison for “defaming the UAE through social media channels” under draconian cybercrime laws. Mansoor’s arrest and persecution are part of a wider crackdown to silence those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. 

For the past four years (1,461 days) Mansoor has been kept in solitary confinement in a cell without a bed, access to books, sunlight or fresh air. To protest against these deplorable conditions, he launched two separate hunger strikes in March and September 2019 to little avail. He is still kept in solitary confinement, however, he is now permitted to contact close family members. 

Ahmed Mansoor has repeatedly been subjected to physical and mental abuse by prison warders. Most recently, GCHR and HRW have reported that he suffers from high blood pressure, which is increasingly worrisome in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the absence of proper medical care in the UAE prison system. 

How can you help Ahmed Mansoor?

On Saturday, 20 March, we are urging anyone who wants to draw attention to Mansoor’s plight to join the Twitter storm: post as many tweets as possible throughout the day using the hashtags #FreeAhmed and #GiveAhmedaBed. 

Who can you address the tweets to?

You can address the tweets to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum @HHShkMohd, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ask him to #FreeAhmed. You can also tweet to Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan @SaifBZayed, the Minister of Interior, who is the authority responsible for prisons in the UAE and to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan @MohamedBinZayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

You can also tweet at your MP urging him/her to discuss Ahmed Mansoor’s release with Parliament.  More information on who your MP is and their Twitter handle can be found here:  https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons. 

You can write your own tweets or use the samples below. 

1. #UAE: Today is @Ahmed_Mansoor’s 4-year detention anniversary. He is a poet & activist who was sentenced to 10 years for criticising the #UAE authorities on Twitter. He has committed no crime and must be released immediately! #FreeAhmed
2. 1461 days = 4 years that @Ahmed_Mansoor has been in solitary confinement in #UAE prison. His treatment in prison amounts to #torture and is detrimental to his health. We call for his immediate and unconditional release! 4 years is too long #FreeAhmed #GiveAhmedaBed
3. United Arab Emirates: #HRD and #MartinEnnals award laureate @Ahmed_Mansoor was arbitrarily arrested 4 years ago TODAY! We urge the #UAE govt @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed to adhere to international #HumanRights law and release this #PrisonerOfConscience now! #FreeAhmed 
4. .@Ahmed_Mansoor: 4 years of unjust imprisonment and solitary confinement is too long! Please join us and call on #UAE rulers @HHShkMohd, @AnwarGargash & @MohamedBinZayed to immediately & unconditionally #FreeAhmed. 
5. #HumanRights activist and poet @Ahmed_Mansoor has been unlawfully detained for 1461 days in an #AbuDhabi prison. Today marks the #4yearanniversary of his detention. He has been subjected to physical and mental abuse by #Emirati warders in al-Sadr prison. #FreeAhmed 
6. Under the #MandelaRules, @Ahmed_Mansoor should be given a bed, medical assistance and access to books and newspapers. Instead the #UAE has held him in solitary confinement for 4 years without any basic necessities. We call for his immediate release! #FreeAhmed #GiveAhmedaBed
7. #UAE: Activist and @MartinEnnals award laureate @Ahmed_Mansoor has remained in solitary confinement in a 2m x 2m cell with no mattress to sleep on for 4 years. Please join us and call on #UAE rulers @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed to immediately & unconditionally #FreeAhmed.
8. #HumanRights activist @Ahmed_Mansoor has been in solitary confinement for 4 years, sleeping on a prison floor. Pending Ahmed’s release, we urge the #UAE to adhere to basic prisoners’ rights and #GiveAhmedABed to prevent a deterioration of his health. #FreeAhmed
9. #UAE: Activist @Ahmed_Mansoor remains in solitary confinement at al-Sadr prison. His 4sqm cell lacks a mattress and he is denied access to books. These detention conditions amount to #torture and are extremely detrimental to his already poor health. #GiveAhmedABed #FreeAhmed
10. #UAE: #PrisonerOfConscience @Ahmed_Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for peacefully exercising his right to #FreedomOfExpression, association & assembly. He has committed no crime & should be released immediately. @SaifBZayed, @HHShkMohd & @MohamedBinZayed #FreeAhmed
11. .@Ahmed_Mansoor, a prominent #activist, devoted his life to raising awareness of #HumanRights violations in the #UAE until he himself was unjustly jailed. His incarceration constitutes an act of direct reprisal against his peaceful activism. @MohamedBinZayed & @HHShkMohd #FreeAhmed
12. #HRD @Ahmed_Mansoor has been subjected to beatings & other forms of physical & mental abuse by warders at al-Sadr prison. As a result, his health has deteriorated leaving him vulnerable to #COVID19. We call on the #UAE authorities to #FreeAhmed immediately and unconditionally!
13. It’s ironic that after winning the prestigious @MartinEnnals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015, @Ahmed_Mansoor, was arrested for peacefully defending human rights. We urge #UAE to #FreeAhmed & #GiveAhmedABed
14. #UAE: Since his arrest 4 years ago, #PrisonerOfConscience @Ahmed_Mansoor has been tortured and subjected to permanent solitary confinement in #AbuDhabi’s al-Sadr prison. Please join us & call for his immediate and unconditional release. #FreeAhmed
15. We urge the #UAE to immediately and unconditionally release @Ahmed_Mansoor and other human rights defenders who are unjustly imprisoned solely for their peaceful human rights activities. @HHShkMohd, @MohamedBinZayed, @AnwarGargash & MOJ_UAE #FreeAhmed #LetThePrisonersOut
16. Free @Ahmed_Mansoor, an Emirati poet and activist, who under draconian cybercrime laws was sentenced to 10 years in prison for peacefully criticising the #UAE authorities’ #HumanRights violations. @HHShkMohd, @AnwarGargash, MOJ_UAE & @MohamedBinZayed #FreeAhmed
17. In direct violation of the @UN’s Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, @Ahmed_Mansoor is denied the most basic of human needs. He is detained in isolation in a tiny cell without a bed to sleep on. Please join us and urge the #UAE government to #FreeAhmed.