Amnesty International has recently called on governments participating in Cop28, the upcoming conference on climate change, to exert pressure on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to release activists who they believe have been “unjustly imprisoned.” The organization emphasizes that the release of these activists is crucial for ensuring meaningful action on climate change.

One of the main concerns raised by Amnesty International is the decision to hold Cop28 in a country like the UAE, which has restrictive laws on freedom of expression and a history of suppressing civil society. According to Amnesty International, this choice undermines the potential for ambitious climate action, as it sends a message that countries with a poor track record on human rights can still play a leading role in addressing climate change.

A significant event that highlights the UAE’s treatment of activists is the mass trial of the UAE 94 activists in 2013. This trial was widely condemned as being grossly unfair, with many activists still being held beyond their sentences. The United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has also called for their immediate release.

Amnesty International specifically urges the United Arab Emirates to release the dozens of Emirati nationals who were unjustly imprisoned in the 2013 mass trial. Despite having completed their sentences, 51 of these individuals are still being held in prison, raising concerns about the UAE’s human rights record.

The case, known as the “UAE94” trial, targeted 94 Emirati critics of the government and has drawn criticism from various human rights groups. Amnesty International believes that the international community and governments must take a strong stance on the need for the immediate release of these prisoners in order to address the injustice and uphold human rights.

With the upcoming COP28 conference on climate change approaching, urgent action is required from governments to pressure the Emirati government into releasing the unjustly imprisoned activists. Amnesty International argues that the participation of the UAE in Cop28 risks being tainted by repression if these prisoners are not released beforehand.

Amnesty International is calling upon governments participating in Cop28 to pressure the UAE into releasing activists who they believe have been unjustly imprisoned. They argue that holding the conference in a country with restrictive laws on freedom of expression and a history of suppressing civil society undermines the potential for ambitious climate action. The mass trial of the UAE 94 activists in 2013, which was widely condemned as unfair, further highlights the need for the release of these prisoners. The international community and governments must take a strong stance on this issue to address the injustice and uphold human rights. Urgent action is required before the upcoming COP28 conference to ensure that it is not tainted by repression.