Dozens of defendants in a mass trial, including human rights defenders, had their convictions on terrorism-related charges and lengthy prison sentences upheld by the Federal Appeal Court, despite violations of their right to a fair trial. Others were re-convicted following an earlier dismissal of their cases in the same trial. Political opponents and activists faced enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention. Dubai authorities’ crackdown on partitioned apartments – commonly used by low-skilled workers – led to widespread evictions, worsening their precarious living conditions. Fossil fuel production continued to expand. The death penalty was retained and executions carried out.
Unfair trials
In March the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court upheld the conviction and lengthy sentences of 53 defendants, including human rights defender and blogger Ahmed Mansour and academic Nasser Bin Ghaith, in a final ruling. The 53 defendants were among at least 84 people subjected to a 2023 mass trial that flagrantly violated their fair trial rights, and which culminated in sentences of between 10 years and life imprisonment. They were convicted under the UAE’s Counterterrorism Law for forming an advocacy group in 2010 and signing a petition calling for reforms in 2011.
In June the Federal Supreme Court overturned the Appeal Court’s ruling to dismiss 24 of the 84 defendants’ cases, bringing them back to court, reconvicting them, and sentencing them to life imprisonment. Life sentences were handed down to 67 of the original 84 defendants.
Arbitrary detention
On 8 January, Lebanese authorities extradited Egyptian-Turkish poet Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi to the UAE, after arresting him in December 2024 at the Lebanon-Syria border. The UAE had issued an extradition request to the Lebanese authorities for charges of “disturbing public security”, “spreading false information” and “inciting unrest” related to a video he posted on social media while in Syria, criticizing Egyptian, Emirati and Saudi Arabian authorities. On arrival in the UAE, Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi was forcibly disappeared and denied access to his lawyers and family members; a situation that continued at the end of the year.1 In March, a group of independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the lack of information on his fate, whereabouts and safety.
On 19 January, UAE authorities arrested Sudanese political activist and leading member of the Sudan National Alliance, Mohammed Farouk Salman, at Dubai’s International Airport. Authorities provided no reason for his arrest and denied him access to a lawyer and to his family. He remained forcibly disappeared at the end of the year.
Irresponsible arms transfers
Before the International Court of Justice in March, Sudan accused the UAE of violating the Genocide Convention by providing financial, military and political support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rebel paramilitary group in military conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces. In May the Court dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Also in May, an investigation published by Amnesty International found that the UAE had violated the UN Security Council arms embargo on Darfur, Sudan. Analysis of pictures and videos showing the aftermath of RSF attacks that killed at least 13 people, identified the use of Chinese guided bombs and howitzers. Amnesty International concluded that the weapons, manufactured by a Chinese state-owned defence corporation, were almost certainly re-exported to Sudan by the UAE.2
Workers’ rights
The kafala (sponsorship) system continued to bind migrant workers to their employers, severely restricting job mobility and exposing them to systemic abuse, including wage theft, excessive working hours and crippling debt from recruitment fees. Despite some legal protections, enforcement remained weak, and migrant workers were still denied the right to form unions or assemble peacefully.
In June an Indian human rights defender working at an organization documenting abuses against migrant workers in Gulf nations was arbitrarily detained and ill-treated while transiting through Dubai. She was eventually released without being given any information about the legal basis for her enforced disappearance.
In July, Dubai authorities’ crackdown on partitioned apartments – commonly used by low-skilled workers – led to widespread evictions, worsening their precarious living conditions and underscoring the government’s failure to guarantee safe, adequate housing and social protections.
Children’s rights
Following a visit to the UAE, in April the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children found that the government could do more to encourage reporting of sexual abuse and violence against children.
Right to a healthy environment
The UAE was ranked a “very low performer” by the Climate Change Performance Index, particularly for its high energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The UAE accelerated its oil and gas expansion plans despite the harmful effects of human-induced climate change.
Death penalty
The UAE maintained the death penalty in law and resumed executions after a hiatus of several years. There were serious fair trial concerns.
- “United Arab Emirates: Egyptian-Turkish poet forcibly disappeared: Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi”, 7 February ↩︎
- “Sudan: Advanced Chinese weaponry provided by UAE identified in breach of arms embargo – new investigation”, 8 May ↩︎
