March 03, 2026
Petits drapeaux des Émirats arabes unis sur fond flou de la ville, September 30, 2021 © Butenkov Aleksei, liscensed under Shutterstock.
In March 2011, a group of 133 citizens signed a petition addressed to the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Federal Supreme Council requesting democratic reforms. UAE authorities instigated criminal proceedings against the signatories and, on January 7, 2013, 94 defendants were charged with founding, organising and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, in proceedings that became known as the “UAE94” trial. In July 2013, 61 out of the 94 defendants were convicted, in addition to eight individuals in absentia, and sentenced to between seven and 15 years in prison.
Despite having served their sentences, most detainees were not released. Instead, UAE authorities instead brought new charges against 78 Emirati political prisoners – most of whom had already been tried in the UAE94 trial –, along with six civil society organisations. None of the accused were alleged to have committed any new offence.
On January 6, 2024, Emirati authorities released a statement charging the 43 of the men with “establishing another clandestine organisation for the purpose of committing acts of violence and terrorism on UAE soil”, and at least 41 with “supporting and funding a terrorist organisation”. On July 10, 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court handed down 43 life sentences, five sentences of 15 years, five sentences of 10 years, one acquittal, the release of 24 individuals and the conviction of six civil society organisations.
On March 4, 2025, the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal, formed by 53 defendants, thereby upholding the 43 life sentences, five sentences of 15 years and five sentences of 10 years.
On June 26, 2025, the Criminal Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court overturned the earlier judgment from July 10, 2024 and increased the number of life imprisonment sentences to 67. Accordingly, the final judgment provides 67 life sentences, five sentences of 15 years, five sentences of 10 years, one acquittal and the conviction of six institutions with their assets confiscated.
Repeated warning from UN experts
These proceedings have unfolded despite sustained international concern, including repeated concerns from UN human rights experts.
International scrutiny began during the original UAE94 proceedings, with communications issued in November 2012 and April 2013. In November 2013, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN WGAD) issued an Opinion concerning 61 individuals, concluding that their detention was arbitrary as their convictions were based on acts protected by the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
In May 2023, the UN WGAD adopted another Opinion regarding 12 UAE94 defendants who had completed their sentences between July 2019 and July 2022 but remained detained indefinitely. The UN WGAD found that their continued detention was politically motivated, concluding that they had been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty because of their status as human rights defenders.
Following the first hearing of the UAE84 trial on December 7, 2023, UN human rights experts issued a public statement denouncing the new charges brought against the defendants. The experts criticised the “recycling” of the defendants in the prison system, their incommunicado detention, and the misuse of the vague and overly broad counter-terrorism legal framework against political dissidents.
UN human rights experts made a further call on Emirati authorities in January 2024, to refrain from prosecuting the defendants in the UAE84 trial, expressing concern about the compatibility of the new mass trials with international human rights standards.
Following the initial sentence by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on July 10, 2024, UN experts released another statement expressing dismay over the life sentences issued.
Further concerns have been raised since then, including a statement made in November 2024 by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, who expressed sincere worries about the prolonged arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of individuals in the UAE84 case. A further communication was also sent to the UAE authorities by UN human rights experts in April 2025, regarding the revocation of citizenship and denial of renewal of national identity of two of the UAE84 detainees and their family members, as a form of retaliation against their peaceful political dissent.
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