Emirati dissident and member of the “UAE94” and “UAE84” arrested in Syria
Name(s):
Jasem Rashed Khalfan Rashed al-Shamsi
Status:
Disappeared
Year of birth:
1968
Nationality:
Emirati
Date of arrest:
Jasem Rashed al-Shamsi, a former UAE government official turned prominent dissident, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in the 2013 "UAE94" mass trial after supporting democratic reforms in the UAE. In December 2023, he faced new baseless terrorism-related charges as part of the "UAE84" group and was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2024, while the UAE added him to its Local Terrorist List in January 2025. After living in exile in Turkey, he relocated to Syria with his family in December 2024, but on November 6, 2025, Syrian security forces arrested him in Damascus without a warrant or information about the reason for his arrest, transferring him to an undisclosed location and placing him at imminent risk of extradition to the UAE, where he faces serious risk of torture, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. On November 10, 2025, EDAC and MENA Rights Group submitted his case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID) to request Syria and the UAE to disclose his fate and whereabouts.
Jasem Rashid al-Shamsi is a prominent Emirati political activist, and former government official who previously served as Assistant Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Finance before becoming one of the most vocal critics of the UAE government abroad.
In March 2011, after a group of 133 Emirati academics, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders signed a petition calling for democratic reforms, the UAE's State Security Apparatus initiated a brutal campaign of arrests against the individuals who signed the document. On January 7, 2013, 94 defendants were charged with founding, organising and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, and sentenced during the UAE's largest mass trial, known as the "UAE94", before the Special Security Court within the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi. In July 2013, the Court convicted 61 of the 94 defendants, in addition to eight individuals in absentia, on counter-terrorism and cybercrime charges, sentencing them to between 7 to 15 years in prison. Mr. al-Shamsi was one of those sentenced in absentia. UN experts expressed serious human rights concerns regarding the UAE94 trial in an official communication sent to the UAE in 2013.
In December 2023, the UAE authorities brought new charges against a group of 84 prisoners of conscience under its counter-terrorism law in retaliation for forming an independent advocacy group in 2010. The "UAE84" group includes prominent activists and dissidents, as well as those convicted following the grossly unfair "UAE94" trial, including Mr. al-Shamsi. In July 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. UN experts expressed deep concerns regarding the charges brought against al-Shamsi as part of the UAE84 trial in a communication sent to the UAE authorities in 2024.
On January 8, 2025, the UAE government officially added Jasem Rashid al-Shamsi to its Local Terrorist List. This designation was part of a broader list that included 11 individuals and 8 entities, most with links to the United Kingdom.
Al-Shamsi lived in exile primarily in Istanbul, Turkey, where he continued his activism through social media and online media platforms. On March 2, 2024, Turkish authorities arrested al-Shamsi and his family at Dalaman Airport while they were attempting to travel outside Turkey. The arrest was allegedly based on his name appearing on the Interpol list. In a widely circulated video from the airport, al-Shamsi appealed to international human rights organisations for support, expressing fear of extradition to the UAE. In December 2024, al-Shamsi and his family eventually relocated to Syria.
On November 6, 2025, Syrian security forces arrested al-Shamsi in Damascus without a judicial warrant or information about the reason for his arrest. He was transferred to an undisclosed location and all communication with the outside world was severed. There are deep concerns that his arrest appears to be politically motivated and may be linked to an extradition request issued by the UAE. Three weeks prior to his arrest, he attempted to travel, but airport authorities informed him that a travel ban had been imposed against him in Syria.
If extradited to the UAE, al-Shamsi faces a serious risk of torture,enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention.The plausibility of this risk is further reinforced by the dangerous precedent set by the case of Khalaf Al-Romaithi, another UAE94 and UAE84 member who was extradited from Jordan to the UAE in May 2023 outside any judicial process, despite credible concerns that he would face persecution and ill-treatment. Al-Romaithi has since remained forcibly disappeared in the UAE since.
On November 10, 2025, the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre (EDAC) and MENA Rights Group submitted his case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID), urging them to intervene with the Syrian and the Emirati authorities to disclose his fate and whereabouts.
| Name(s): |
Jasem Rashed Khalfan Rashed al-Shamsi
|
| Status: |
Disappeared
|
| Year of birth: |
1968
|
| Nationality: |
Emirati
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
Jasem Rashid al-Shamsi is a prominent Emirati political activist, and former government official who previously served as Assistant Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Finance before becoming one of the most vocal critics of the UAE government abroad.
In March 2011, after a group of 133 Emirati academics, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders signed a petition calling for democratic reforms, the UAE's State Security Apparatus initiated a brutal campaign of arrests against the individuals who signed the document. On January 7, 2013, 94 defendants were charged with founding, organising and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, and sentenced during the UAE's largest mass trial, known as the "UAE94", before the Special Security Court within the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi. In July 2013, the Court convicted 61 of the 94 defendants, in addition to eight individuals in absentia, on counter-terrorism and cybercrime charges, sentencing them to between 7 to 15 years in prison. Mr. al-Shamsi was one of those sentenced in absentia. UN experts expressed serious human rights concerns regarding the UAE94 trial in an official communication sent to the UAE in 2013.
In December 2023, the UAE authorities brought new charges against a group of 84 prisoners of conscience under its counter-terrorism law in retaliation for forming an independent advocacy group in 2010. The "UAE84" group includes prominent activists and dissidents, as well as those convicted following the grossly unfair "UAE94" trial, including Mr. al-Shamsi. In July 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. UN experts expressed deep concerns regarding the charges brought against al-Shamsi as part of the UAE84 trial in a communication sent to the UAE authorities in 2024.
On January 8, 2025, the UAE government officially added Jasem Rashid al-Shamsi to its Local Terrorist List. This designation was part of a broader list that included 11 individuals and 8 entities, most with links to the United Kingdom.
Al-Shamsi lived in exile primarily in Istanbul, Turkey, where he continued his activism through social media and online media platforms. On March 2, 2024, Turkish authorities arrested al-Shamsi and his family at Dalaman Airport while they were attempting to travel outside Turkey. The arrest was allegedly based on his name appearing on the Interpol list. In a widely circulated video from the airport, al-Shamsi appealed to international human rights organisations for support, expressing fear of extradition to the UAE. In December 2024, al-Shamsi and his family eventually relocated to Syria.
On November 6, 2025, Syrian security forces arrested al-Shamsi in Damascus without a judicial warrant or information about the reason for his arrest. He was transferred to an undisclosed location and all communication with the outside world was severed. There are deep concerns that his arrest appears to be politically motivated and may be linked to an extradition request issued by the UAE. Three weeks prior to his arrest, he attempted to travel, but airport authorities informed him that a travel ban had been imposed against him in Syria.
If extradited to the UAE, al-Shamsi faces a serious risk of torture,enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention.The plausibility of this risk is further reinforced by the dangerous precedent set by the case of Khalaf Al-Romaithi, another UAE94 and UAE84 member who was extradited from Jordan to the UAE in May 2023 outside any judicial process, despite credible concerns that he would face persecution and ill-treatment. Al-Romaithi has since remained forcibly disappeared in the UAE since.
On November 10, 2025, the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre (EDAC) and MENA Rights Group submitted his case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID), urging them to intervene with the Syrian and the Emirati authorities to disclose his fate and whereabouts.