Mohammed Al-Roken should have been released 133 days ago

The UAE authorities are not just imprisoning dissidents, but keeping them locked up with no end in sight even when their prison sentences are over.

Leading human rights advocate Dr. Mohammed al-Roken should have been released 133 days ago.

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). 

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”).

As his 10-year-sentence has come to an end, we call on the UAE authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken without any further delay under flimsy pretexts.