Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender Mr Hassan Ahmed al-Diqqi, on 12 May 2009, following a decision by the Court of Appeal of Sharjah, on 11 May 2009, to reduce his prison sentence from 10 years to 6 months. Hassan al–Diqqi, who was released after spending nine months in prison, is the founder of the website “Emirates People's Rights Organization”.

The Sharjah police arrested Hassan al-Diqqi in July 2008 on a fabricated rape charge outstanding from June 2005. He was sentenced to death in absentia on 30 June 2006, despite the fact that, according to a local rights activist and lawyer, forensic evidence did not support the charge. The arrest in July 2008 aroused suspicion since it took place just two months after Hassan al-Diqqi established the human rights website. The state authorities reportedly offered to release al-Diqqi if he gave up his human rights work. He refused this offer. On 4 March 2009, the Sharjah Sharia criminal Court decided to replace the execution sentence with a prison term of 10 years.