Open Letter to the President of the United Arab Emirates Regarding Human rights defender Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed who faces exile

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates

Dear Sheikh Al-Nahyan,

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has received information that prominent human rights defender Mr Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed faces being exiled to Thailand from the UAE.  It is reported that the date for his forcible removal from the UAE is scheduled for 16 July 2012, however it is suspected that he may be sent to Thailand before then. It is imperative that such a measure is halted immediately.

Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed, who was born and brought up in the UAE, belongs to the Bedoon community and is one of the UAE 5 who were found guilty in November 2011, of "publicly insulting" senior officials. They were later released having spent eight months in prison.

On 22 May 2012 Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed was arrested again when he presented himself to the Immigration authorities. He was initially taken to an unknown location and held in communicado. The GCHR issued an appeal on 23 May 2012 following his arrest. (http://gc4hr.org/news/view/150)

On 3 July 2012, the prison authorities summoned his father to Al-Wathba prison, where Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed is currently being detained. They asked him to buy a ticket for his son to Thailand and to prepare a visa using a Comoros passport.  On 5 July 2012, the visa and ticket were applied for. They were subsequently issued on 8 July and given to the human rights defender the next day. There are fears that he may be exiled to Thailand at any moment.

No grounds for the exiling of Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed have been provided by the authorities and such a measure would constitute a gross violation of his fundamental human rights and must be stopped immediately.

The GCHR calls on you to ensure that the authorities in the UAE:

1. Immediately stop any measures to exile Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed to Thailand and guarantee no such forcible removal will take place;
2. Immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Abdulkhaleq Ahmed as the GCHR believes that he has been detained solely as a result of his legitimate human rights work;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in UAE are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. 

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 12 (1) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to participate in peaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.