Mohammed Al Roken

On 7 August 2012, the UAE authorities extended the detention period of leading human rights lawyer Dr Mohammed Al-Roken, until 7 September 2012.

Furthermore, on 8 August 2012, the Attorney General and the State Security Prosecutor's Office refused prominent lawyer and human right defender Mr Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti's requests to visit a number of his clients who are in detention, including Mohammed Al Roken. Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti served as a lawyer for the “UAE 5” in 2011, along with Mohammed Al-Roken.

Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti and his staff have been subjected to harassment, intimidation and smear campaigns in the UAE. On 9 August 2012, an employee of Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti's, Egyptian lawyer Sameh Mukhtar, was asked to report to the Dubai Immigration Office and was ordered to leave the country immediately due to national security reasons.

This is reportedly the fourth of Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti's employees that has ceased their work with the human rights lawyer due to concerted pressure exerted by the UAE authorities. Meanwhile, there are reports that some officials advised the families of those detained during the recent crackdown on human rights defenders and political reformists against hiring Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti.

In parallel to these events, a number of statements attempting to stigmatise those detained in the recent crackdown have been made by the Cabinet and other public officials, in which the detainees were accused of conspiring against the state and inciting others against the state.

Mohamed Al-Roken is a leading human rights lawyer who provides legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses in the UAE, including to fellow human rights defenders. For further information concerning his detention, see the Front Line Defenders urgent appeal, dated 17 July 2012: Arrest and detention of human rights defender Dr Mohammed Al Roken

Front Line Defenders reiterates its call on the authorities in the UAE to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammed Al-Roken, as well as all other human rights defenders who remain in arbitrary detention following the recent wave of arrests. Front Line Defenders further calls on the authorities to immediately cease all harassment of Abdulhameed Al-Kumaiti and his employees, and to take all necessary steps to bring the smear campaign against human rights defenders in the UAE to an end.