Featured stories about United Arab Emirates
Stories about United Arab Emirates
Impact of COVID-19 containment measures on human rights and civil liberties in the Middle East
COVID-19 measures in the MENA region have especially targeted some of the most vulnerable groups such as detained human rights defenders, migrant workers and independent media.
UAE frees activist Osama al-Najjar after 5 years in detention
Despite serving his three-year sentence in March 2017, al-Najjar remained in arbitrary detention.
Netizen Report: Amid WhatsApp attacks, advocates launch legal challenge against Israeli malware maker
Spyware makers exploit a security flaw in WhatsApp, Singapore bans false information and Somalia plans to shut down social media during school exams.
Jailed Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor's life is at risk, after six weeks on hunger strike
Mansoor was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015. He has been jailed multiple times since 2011.
Jailed UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor continues hunger strike
Mansoor is serving ten years in jail after a court convicted him of publishing false information and rumours on social media.
Two years after completing his sentence, Emirati activist Osama al-Najjar remains in detention
Al-Najjar was arrested over tweets calling for the release of prisoners of conscience in the Emirates.
A lethal combination: How MENA governments use cybercrime laws and spyware to target activists
Gulf governments continue to deploy cybercrime laws as an arbitrary legal cover to target target human rights defenders.
Killing speech softly: How the world’s biggest tech companies are quietly censoring critical expression in the Middle East
The failures of tech giants in moderating content in the region is a big and complex problem.
Protesting Mistreatment in Prison, Emirati Activist Survives Six Weeks of Hunger Strike
Imran al-Radwan is serving a seven-year jail sentence for calling for reform in the UAE.
Netizen Report: Gulf States Say ‘Pro-Qatar’ Speech Now Constitutes Cybercrime
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Jailed Emirati Academic Endures Hunger Strike to Protest Ten-Year Jail Sentence
"I have no choice but to go on hunger strike to restore my stolen freedom".
Emirati Hardline Nationalists Target Human Rights Defenders on Twitter
It is no longer unusual for governments to maintain a robust online presence. They understand well the power of the internet in forming public opinion and manipulating political discourse.
Global Inequality in Your Pocket: How Cheap Smartphones and Lax Policies Leave Us Vulnerable to Hacking
People who are poor, socially marginalized, and less tech-savvy bear the greatest risk of attacks via mobile phones.
UAE Authorities Arrest One Rights Activist and Extend the Detention of Another
On 20 March police arrested human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor from his home. Meanwhile, UAE authorities have refused to release Osama al-Najjar, despite him having served out his prison sentence.
UAE Court Sentences Jordanian Journalist Tayseer al-Najjar to Prison
UAE authorities took issue with a Facebook post that Tayseer al-Najjar published before he had even moved to the country.
After Waiting More Than a Year, Jordanian Journalist Appears Before UAE Court
Journalist Tayseer Al-Najjar is on trial in the UAE over 2014 Facebook posts deemed offensive to the Emirati state.
Health of Detained UAE Academic Nasser Bin Ghaith at Risk, Rights Groups Say
Bin Ghaith was held incommunicado for nine months over and deprived of adequate food and clothing. Supporters are now concerned for his health.
The UAE Has Avoided an ‘Arab Spring’ by Systematically Repressing Critical Speech
Wary of an Arab-Spring like uprising within its borders, the UAE government launched an unprecedented crackdown on critics and activists.
Bad Laws Are Contagious: Demystifying the UAE’s New Information Tech Law
Preceded by a wave of VOIP blocking in various Arab countries, the new law comes as no surprise for those familiar with digital policy in the region.
Two Arrested and then Released for Taking Selfies with Burning Dubai Hotel in the Background
Two men who posted their selfies on social media with Dubai's 63-storey The Address hotel on fire in the background were arrested -- and then released.
