Human rights defender and academic Dr Nasser bin Ghaith has been transferred from Al Razeen prison to an unknown location by UAE authorities, International Center for Justice and Human Rights (ICJHR) said yesterday.
ICJHR added that Emirati officials refused to disclose his whereabouts and did not inform his family about his transfer and the place he was moved to.
The centre believes this will deprive Ghaith of the protection of the law and make him a victim of forced disappearance in keeping with the provisions of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which the UAE authorities have not yet acceded.
Ghaith has been deprived by the Emirati officials of his right to family visits since he started a hunger strike on April 2 this year to protest the violations he was subjected to, the centre added in a statement.
Ghaith was also prevented from seeing his lawyer and authorities rejected his request to see a copy of the judicial ruling and denied his representation of Ghaith despite the fact that he has already appealed and pleaded before Federal Supreme Court at the start of his trial. The lawyer was also prohibited from seeing Ghaith at Al-Razeen prison to persuade him to appeal against the ruling of the Federal Court of Appeal.
The ICJHR called on the Special Rapporteurs on torture, human rights defenders and the independence of the judiciary to urgently intervene with the UAE government to reveal Ghaith’s whereabouts and allow his family and lawyer to visit him and unconditionally release him as well as desist from violating his rights and depriving him of his dignity and humanity.
The centre also urged for open and serious and impartial investigation into the allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance that Ghaith was subjected to inside the prison and hold those responsible accountable and give him his full right of reparation and rehabilitation.
The centre also urged to allow the UN Special Rapporteurs, UN special procedures, human rights organisations and other international human rights bodies to visit Ghaith.
