UAE Government Detains Pro-democracy Activists
Human Rights Watch believe the detention of Ahmed Mansoor is aimed at scaring and intimidating others in the UAE who may wish to make public their demands for democratic reforms. While other governments in the region are discussing democratic reforms, the UAE government is digging in its heels and sticking to outmoded repressive ploys.
Before his detention, Mansoor told Human Rights Watch that since the beginning of April, he had received six death threats and has been subject to an online smear campaign on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
“Does the UAE government’s plan for progress include prosecuting and jailing citizens who seek democracy and freedom?” “No gilded towers, no world-class museums or universities, can mask the fact that UAE authorities refuse to grant basic rights to citizens.” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Director at Human Rights Watch, Middle East and North Africa.
