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Rights center calls on Abu Dhabi to immediately release Yemeni businessman sentenced to 15 years in prison over post

Political| 2 February, 2025 - 8:22 AM

Michigan: Yemen Youth Net

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Businessman Abdullah Ali Abdul Wahab detained in the UAE over a Facebook post

The American Center for Justice ( ACJ ) called on the UAE authorities on Sunday to immediately release a Yemeni businessman sentenced to 15 years in prison for a Facebook post criticizing the UAE air force’s bombing of Yemeni army forces at the entrance to the city of Aden in 2019.

The center said in a statement that it is following with great concern the case of Yemeni citizen "Abdullah Ali Abdul Hafeez Abdul Wahhab", who lost contact with him during his visit to Dubai in October 2022, before it later became clear that he was being detained in the Emirates in mysterious circumstances and without clear legal procedures.

The human rights center explained that the Yemeni businessman traveled to Dubai to supply computers and their accessories. He is a computer and accessories trader and owns a shop on Sakhr Street in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a.

He added that he had received information from the detainee's family that "Abdullah" was allowed to make a brief one-minute call with his brother, in which he confirmed that he was being detained, but he was unable to provide any additional details due to the strict restrictions imposed on him by the authorities.

The information obtained by the center confirmed that "Abdullah" is currently being held in Al-Sadr Prison in Abu Dhabi, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a post he made on his Facebook account while he was in Yemen, in which he criticized the UAE's bombing of the Yemeni army at the entrance to the city of Aden in 2019.

The center stressed that the charge against the detainee "should not be a reason to detain or try anyone, in addition to depriving him of his right to appoint a lawyer, in a flagrant violation of fair trial guarantees."

ACJ confirmed) The continued detention of "Abdullah" under these circumstances constitutes a violation of international human rights standards, and sends a worrying message about the approach taken by the UAE authorities in dealing with issues of freedom of opinion and expression. Calling for an independent investigation into the conditions of detention of "Abdullah Abdul Wahab" and condemning the parties responsible for violating his basic rights.

The American Center for Justice called on the Emirati authorities to reveal the details of the case of the detainee "Abdullah Ali Abdul Wahab" and to enable him to have a fair trial if he is accused of committing a legally criminal act according to international standards, including his right to legal defense and free communication with his family. In the absence of a legal crime, the center stressed the need for the immediate and unconditional release of the Yemeni detainee.

The Centre renewed its call to the UAE authorities to stop repressive practices against activists, opponents, journalists and opinion-holders, and to abide by the international conventions signed by the UAE.

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