Today, Monday 18 July, the trial against five pro-democratic activists re-opens in Abu Dhabi’s Federal Supreme Court. The five activists are Ahmed Mansoor, an engineer, blogger and member of Human Rights Watch Middle East advisory committee and ANHRI’s (Arab Network for Human Rights Information); Nasser bin Ghaith, an economist, university lecturer and advocate of political reform; and three online activists Fahad Salim Dalk, Ahmed Abdul Khaleq and Hassan Ali al-Khamis. They are all accused of “publicly insulting” the UAE president and other top officials (as Article 176 of the UAE Penal Code makes it a crime to publicly insult the country’s top officials, its flag or national emblem; offenders can be sentenced to five years imprisonment). The UAE government is obviously using defamation as a pretext to prosecute activists for peacefully expressing their opinions.
The four NGOs are: Amnesty International, ANHRI, Front Line and Human Rights Watch. They have called jointly on UAE authorities to release immediately the five activists and drop all charges against them.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
April 4, 2012 at 15:44
Can i know more about social work in U.A.E. I’m interested in volunteering & be glad to serve the needy.
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April 4, 2012 at 17:31
Dear Robyna
If social work in the broad sense I think you can find quite bit (charities etc) but if you mean human rights there is less local activity. A press release (copied below ) announced the creation of a new local association but it has already been doubted in terms of independence. Bigger int’l NGOs such as AI, HRW, HRF all have more critical reports. For their websites go to http://www.martinennalsaward.org where on the frontpage yoy have the links to the 10 NGOs.
I do not know from which country you operate and whether you speak arabic, success Hans
First human-rights organization licensed in U.A.E.
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has authorized its first non-governmental organization to begin work to enforce human rights in the Gulf state, said Al-Emirat Al-Yawm newspaper last week. Quoting a licensing decision issued by the Social Affairs Ministry, it said the Emirates Human Rights Association (EHRA) aimed to “respect and enforce human rights according to the state’s laws and constitution.”
“Raising awareness among individuals and clarifying their rights and duties towards society” are part of the association’s aims, the ministry added.
EHRA will also “report to specialized authorities on the conditions of political prisoners and prisoners of opinion and detainees,” it said.
The English-language daily Gulf News said EHRA’s license was granted on February 18 and that the organization will be based in the capital, Abu Dhabi.
Active membership would be confined to U.A.E. nationals while foreign residents can be admitted as non-active members, Al-Emirat Al-Yawm said.
Earlier this month, a U.A.E. court jailed 12 men for up to six years on charges of homosexuality and obscenity after they were arrested at a purported gay wedding. – AFP
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