The choice by a United Arab Emirates courtroom to condemn a Jordanian resident to 10 years in jail in October for criticising Jordan’s authorities was based mostly solely on a sequence of peaceable Fb posts, a rights group has mentioned.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged authorities within the UAE to instantly launch 46-year-old Ahmed Etoum, saying he was convicted solely for his “peaceable criticism of the Jordanian royal household and authorities”.
In an announcement on Thursday, the US-based rights group mentioned the courtroom convicted him in October 2020 of utilizing Fb to commit “acts towards a international state” that would “injury political relations” with that state and “endanger nationwide safety” contained in the UAE.
“It is a terrifying development as many Arab governments arrest or repatriate for detention residents of different Arab states who criticise their very own govt insurance policies,” Rami Khouri, senior fellow and professor on the American College of Beirut, mentioned in a tweet on Saturday.
“The outcome transforms many of the Arab area right into a single authoritarian entity the place people concern to talk their thoughts.”
It is a terrifying development as many Arab governments arrest or repatriate for detention residents of different Arab states who criticize their very own govt insurance policies. The outcome transforms many of the Arab area right into a single authoritarian entity the place people concern to talk their thoughts https://t.co/Xn64UZHPeS
— Rami G. Khouri (@RamiKhouri) February 13, 2021
Etoum has lived in Abu Dhabi for about 5 years along with his spouse and two kids the place he labored as a faculty instructor. He usually used Fb to voice his opinions – to his simply greater than 4,000 followers – on issues in his house nation the place an financial disaster is ongoing.
In keeping with his members of the family, Etoum is being held at al-Wathba jail in Abu Dhabi, HRW mentioned. Earlier than having the ability to contact his household, Etoum was positioned in solitary confinement for 4 months and was solely supplied with a lawyer after his first listening to.
His arrest will “not improve any safety for anybody, however solely additional dehumanise Arab women and men who can’t peacefully categorical their views”, Khouri mentioned in one other Twitter submit.
“It additionally robs our societies of the views, concepts and contributions of residents, that are important for real nationwide improvement.”
‘Prolonged repression’
On October 8, 2020, the State Safety Circuit on the Abu Dhabi Courtroom of Appeals convicted Etoum on fees based mostly on each the penal code and a 2012 regulation on combatting cybercrime.
The costs embrace “intentionally finishing up an act towards a international nation that would injury political relations”, and publishing data on Fb that “promotes concepts that would incite or stir discord and disturb public order and social peace”.
HRW mentioned UAE authorities have lengthy used broadly worded legal guidelines to restrict lawful speech in violation of worldwide requirements.
They’ve carried out a “sustained assault” on freedom of expression and affiliation since 2011, the group mentioned, including that UAE residents who’ve been outspoken about human rights are at “severe threat of arbitrary detention, imprisonment, and torture”.
“UAE authorities have lengthy clamped down on public criticism of the UAE authorities and insurance policies, and have apparently prolonged this repression to critics of different international locations as effectively,” mentioned Michael Web page, deputy Center East director at HRW.
“Regional cooperation to root out and silence unbiased voices and criticism appears to be the one significant Arab unity these governments are able to.”
In the meantime, Sarah Leah Whitson, government director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, mentioned the UAE is now “making it clear” to the vast majority of its workforce that they are going to be “convicted and jailed in the event that they dare to precise their crucial opinions about something, anyplace”.
She added that Jordan has usually didn’t defend or help its residents persecuted for sharing their views within the UAE, in addition to in Saudi Arabia.
In keeping with HRW, UAE authorities in 2017 sentenced a Jordanian journalist who was then dwelling within the nation to a few years in jail over his on-line criticism of Israeli and Egyptian army actions in and close to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Tayseer al-Najjar was launched in February 2019, two months after he accomplished his sentence.