Throughout 2009, human rights organisation, the Jurists Association, has been subjected to mounting restrictions from the United Arab Emirates authorities including the denial of the right to join international and regional organisations, the denial of the right to attend meetings abroad and the denial of support for the association to have an adequate office to carry out their work. Furthermore, senior members of the association are facing multiple forms of harassment including interrogation, arrest and prevention from travel.

Further Information

The Jurists Association, through its Human Rights Committee, focuses on human rights education and conducts seminars and symposia which are subject to government approval. Recently, senior members of the association have made interventions in seminars and written articles critical of the human rights situation in the country. In 2009, the association submitted a report to the UN Universal Periodic Review which was considered critical of the official report. Front Line previously raised the cases concerning members of the Jurists Association on 15 June 2009 and 4 September 2006.

On 21 and 24 June 2009, the Jurists Association received letters from the Ministry of Social Affairs, which rejected their two applications to join the Arab Coalition for Development, Democracy and Human Rights and the International Bar Association. The Administration of Societies, of the Ministry of Social Affairs, did not give any explanation for these rejections.

Throughout 2009, the Administration of Societies did not permit representatives of the Jurists Association to attend meetings outside of the UAE including the meetings of the Arab Jurists Union and the Gulf Jurists Union. The refusal to grant travel permission was issued despite the Jurists Association's compliance with a recommendation to submit details and copies of official documents of conference attendees. According to Law no 2 for 2008 on Societies, for NGO members to participate in events outside the country they must obtain government permission, even if they are not speakers. Front Line is concerned that the authorities may be implementing this law to apply restrictions on human rights organisations.

It is worth noting thatsenior members of the Jurists Association were subjected to arrest and prevention from travel, including Dr Mohammed al-Mansoori, a human rights lawyer and the former President of the Jurists Association, whose case was raised by Front Line on 15 June 2009. Front Line is concerned by the restrictions on the Jurist Association and harassment against its members, which is seen as a direct reprisal for the legitimate work of the Jurists Association in protection of human rights.

Front Line calls upon the authorities in the United Arab Emirates to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of harassment against the Jurists Association and its members, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

2. Secure freedom of association so that the Jurist Association and other human rights organisations can perform their work freely and independently, including securing the right to join international and regional organisations, and attend activities out of the country;

3. Amend all provisions of the Law no. 2 for 2008 on Societies not in compliance with international human rights norms including in particular, but not only, those related to trial procedures, with a view to bring them into compliance with international fair trial guarantees;

4. Ensure that, once amended and adopted, the Law may not be used illegitimately to target human rights defenders;

5. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in United Arab Emirates are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.