UAE to form an 'Independent National Human Rights Authority'

UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum declared on December 14 the Emirati government's intention to form an independent National Human Rights Authority. Announcing the plan Al-Maktoum said 'Women, children, labourers, the elderly, people of determination and the vulnerable have rights that must be safeguarded. The authority will advance our country’s efforts in protecting human rights.' The authority will be granted complete financial and administrative independence to carry out its tasks.

According to WAM official news agency, the authority will follow the Paris Principles for the National Human Rights Institutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

This announcement comes while more than 200 political prisoners are currently detained in the UAE, many on baseless charges and following unfair trials. Those detained include internationally recognised human rights campaigners such as Ahmed Mansoor (Winner of the 2015 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders and a member of the Human Rights Watch advisory board) and Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken (Winner of the 2017 Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize). 

Human rights violations inside of prisons in the UAE are also commonly reported, with torture and indefinite detention rife across the country. 
 

International human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the serious human rights violations carried out in UAE jails, prisons and detention centres.