Human rights in the United Arab Emirates
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United Arab Emirates |
See also |
According to human rights organizations, the government of the United Arab Emirates violates a number of fundamental human rights. The UAE does not have democratically-elected institutions and citizens do not have the right to change their government or to form political parties. There are reports of forced disappearances in the UAE, many foreign nationals and Emirati citizens have been abducted by the UAE government and illegally detained in undisclosed locations.[1][2] In numerous instances, the UAE government has tortured people in custody and has denied their citizens the right to a speedy trial and access to counsel during official investigations.[1][2]
Flogging and stoning are legal forms of judicial punishment in the UAE due to Sharia courts.[3] The government restricts freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and the local media is censored to avoid criticizing the government, government officials or royal families. Freedom of association and freedom of religion are also curtailed.
Despite being elected to the UN Council, the UAE has not signed most international human-rights and labor-rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and the Convention against Torture. Journalists from overseas frequently record and document human rights abuses that occur within the UAE.
Sharia law
Flogging and stoning
The UAE's judicial system is derived from the civil law system and Sharia law. The court system consists of civil courts and Sharia courts. According to Human Rights Watch, UAE's civil and criminal courts apply elements of Sharia law, codified into its criminal code and family law, in a way which discriminates against women.[4]
Flogging is a punishment for criminal offences such as adultery, premarital sex and alcohol consumption.[5][6] Due to Sharia courts, flogging is legal with sentences ranging from 80 to 200 lashes.[5][7][8] Verbal abuse pertaining to a person's sexual honour is illegal and punishable by 80 lashes.[9] Between 2007 and 2014, many people in the UAE were sentenced to 100 lashes.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] More recently in 2015, two men were sentenced to 80 lashes for hitting and insulting a woman.[19] In 2014, an expat in Abu Dhabi was sentenced to 80 lashes for alcohol consumption and raping a toddler.[20] Alcohol consumption for Muslims is illegal and punishable by 80 lashes, many Muslims have been sentenced to 80 lashes for alcohol consumption.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Sometimes 40 lashes are given.[32] Illicit sex is sometimes penalized by 60 lashes.[33][34][35] 80 lashes is the standard amount for anyone sentenced to flogging in several emirates.[36] Sharia courts have penalized domestic workers with floggings.[37] In October 2013, a Filipino housemaid was sentenced to 100 lashes for illegitimate pregnancy.[38] Drunk-driving is strictly illegal and punishable by 80 lashes; many expats have been sentenced to 80 lashes for drunk-driving.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45] In Abu Dhabi, a man has been sentenced to 80 lashes for kissing in public.[46] Under UAE law, premarital sex is punishable by 100 lashes.[47]
Stoning is a legal punishment in the UAE. In May 2014, an Asian housemaid was sentenced to death by stoning in Abu Dhabi.[48][49][50] In 2006, an expatriate was sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery.[51] Between 2009 and 2013, several people were sentenced to death by stoning.[52][53]
Abortion is illegal and punishable by a maximum penalty of 100 lashes and up to five years in prison.[54] In recent years, several people have retracted their guilty plea in illicit sex cases after being sentenced to stoning or 100 lashes.[55][56] The punishment for committing adultery is 100 lashes for unmarried people and stoning to death for married people.[57]
Apostasy
Apostasy is a crime punishable by death in the UAE.[58][59] Blasphemy is illegal, expats involved in insulting Islam are liable for deportation.[60] UAE incorporates hudud crimes of Sharia into its Penal Code - apostasy being one of them.[61] Article 1 and Article 66 of UAE's Penal Code requires hudud crimes to be punished with the death penalty.[61][62]
Emirati women
Emirati women must receive permission from male guardian to marry and remarry.[63] The requirement is derived from Sharia, and has been federal law since 2005.[63] In all emirates, it is illegal for Muslim women to marry non-Muslims.[64] In the UAE, a marriage union between a Muslim woman and non-Muslim man is punishable by law, since it is considered a form of "fornication".[64]
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is illegal: homosexuality is a capital offense in the UAE.[65][66] In 2014, an Emirati man was on trial for being accused of a "gay handshake".[66]
Public affection
Kissing in some public places is illegal and could result in deportation. [67] Various people have been arrested and or/deported for indecent behavior in public places, including a taxi. [68] In 2015, police arrested a group of people including a police officer, who were organising a boat party with prostitutes.[69] .
Family law
The Sharia-based personal status law regulates matters such as marriage, divorce and child custody. The Sharia-based personal status law is applied to Muslims and sometimes non-Muslims.[70] Non-Muslim expatriates are liable to Sharia rulings on marriage, divorce and child custody.[70] Sharia courts have exclusive jurisdiction to hear family disputes, including matters involving divorce, inheritances, child custody, child abuse and guardianship of minors. Sharia courts may also hear appeals of certain criminal cases including rape, robbery, driving under the influence of alcohol and related crimes.[71]
Other laws
Article 1 of the Federal Penal Code states that "provisions of the Islamic Law shall apply to the crimes of doctrinal punishment, punitive punishment and blood money."[72] The Federal Penal Code repealed only those provisions within the penal codes of individual emirates which are contradictory to the Federal Penal Code. Hence, both are enforceable simultaneously.[73]
A new federal law in the UAE prohibits swearing in Whatsapp and penalizes swearing by a $68,061 fine and imprisonment,[74] expats are penalized by deportation.[74][75][76][77] In July 2015, an Australian expat was deported for swearing in Facebook.[78][79][80][81][82]
Amputation is a legal punishment in the UAE due to the Sharia courts.[83][84][85][86][87] Crucifixion is a legal punishment in the UAE.[88][89][90] During the month of Ramadan, it is illegal to publicly eat, drink, or smoke in public between sunrise and sunset.[91] Exceptions are made for pregnant women and children. The law applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims,[91] and failure to comply results in arrest.[92]
Forced disappearances and torture
UAE has escaped the Arab Spring; however, more than 100 Emirati activists were jailed and tortured because they sought reforms.[93][94][95] Since 2011, the UAE government has increasingly carried out forced disappearances.[96][1][2][97][98][99] Many foreign nationals and Emirati citizens have been arrested and abducted by the state, the UAE government denies these people are being held (to conceal their whereabouts), placing these people outside the protection of the law.[94][1][100] According to Human Rights Watch, the reports of forced disappearance and torture in the UAE are of grave concern.[2]
The Arab Organisation of Human Rights has obtained testimonies from many defendants, for its report on "Forced Disappearance and Torture in the UAE", who reported that they had been kidnapped, tortured and abused in detention centres.[1][100] The report included 16 different methods of torture including severe beatings, threats with electrocution and denying access to medical care.[1][100]
In 2013, 94 Emirati activists were held in secret detention centres and put on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government.[101] Human rights organizations have spoken out against the secrecy of the trial. An Emirati, whose father is among the defendants, was arrested for tweeting about the trial. In April 2013, he was sentenced to 10 months in jail.[102]
Repressive measures were also used against non-Emiratis in order to justify the UAE government's claim that there is an "international plot" in which UAE citizens and foreigners were working together to destabilize the country. Foreign nationals were also subjected to a campaign of deportations.[100] There are many documented cases of Egyptians and other foreign nationals who had spent years working in the UAE and were then given only a few days to leave the country.[100]
Foreign nationals subjected to forced disappearance include two Libyans[103] and two Qataris.[100][104] Amnesty reported that the Qatari men have been abducted by the UAE government and the UAE government has withheld information about the men's fate from their families.[100][104] Among the foreign nationals detained, imprisoned and expelled is Iyad El-Baghdadi, a popular blogger and Twitter personality.[100] He was arrested by UAE authorities, detained, imprisoned and then expelled from the country. Despite his lifetime residence in the UAE, as a Palestinian citizen, El-Baghdadi had no recourse to contest this order.[100] He could not be deported back to the Palestinian territories, therefore he was deported to Malaysia.[100]
In 2012, Dubai police subjected three British citizens to beatings and electric shocks after arresting them on drugs charges.[105] The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, expressed "concern" over the case and raised it with the UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during his 2013 state visit to the UK.[106] The three men were pardoned and released in July 2013.[107]
In April 2009, a video tape of torture smuggled out of the UAE showed Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan torturing a man with whips, electric cattle prods, wooden planks with protruding nails and running him over repeatedly with a car.[108]
In December 2009, Issa appeared in court and proclaimed his innocence.[109] The trial ended on 10 January 2010, when Issa was cleared of the torture of Mohammed Shah Poor.[110] Human Rights Watch criticised the trial and called on the government to establish an independent body to investigate allegations of abuse by UAE security personnel and other persons of authority.[111] The US State Department has expressed concern over the verdict and said all members of Emirati society "must stand equal before the law" and called for a careful review of the decision to ensure that the demands of justice are fully met in this case.[112]
According to Human Rights Watch annual report 2016, Emirates authorities forcibly disappeared and detained people who criticized the government or its allies. February 2015, Human Rights Watch documented a case in which three Emirati sisters, Asma, Mariam, and Al Yazzyah al-Suweidi, were forcibly disappeared by Emirates authorities. They released them without charge after spending 3 months in incommunicado detention. The three sisters had arrested after posting comments criticizing government for arresting their brother Dr. Issa al-Suweidi. In August 2015, Emirati academic Nasser bin Ghaith was arrested after posting some comments on social media in which he criticized the mass killing of Rab'a protesters in Cairo in 2013. Bin Ghaith’s fate still unknown at time of writing.[113]
Freedom of speech
In the UAE, it is not permitted to be critical of the government, government officials, police and the royal family. Any attempt to also form a union in public and protest against any issue, will be met with severe action.[114]
On 16 November 2007 Tecom stopped broadcast of two major Pakistani satellite news channels, uplinked from Dubai Media City, which was initially marketed by Tecom under the tagline "Freedom to Create." The Dubai government had ordered Tecom to shut down the popular independent Pakistani news channels Geo News and ARY One World on the demand of Pakistan's military regime led by General Pervez Musharraf. This was implemented by du Samacom disabling their SDI & ASI streams. Later, policy makers in Dubai permitted these channels to air their entertainment programs, but news, current affairs and political analysis were forbidden. Although subsequently the conditions were removed, marked differences have since been observed in their coverage. This incident has had a serious impact on all organizations in the media city with Geo TV and ARY OneWorld considering relocation.[115][116][117]
Internet
In 2012, a cybercrime decree was issued, imposing severe restrictions on freedom of speech in social networking, blogs, text messages and emails. The law outlawed criticism of senior officials and demands for political reform.[118] The law stipulates an imprisonment and a fine of up to 1,000,000 dirhams for publishing information which is deemed to be critical towards the state.[118]
In 2015, a man was detained for commenting on his employer's Facebook page after a disagreement with his employer, even though the posts were made while the man was in the United States. Police in Abu Dhabi contacted him after he came back to the UAE and asked him to meet officers at a police station, where he was later detained. [119]
Secret Dubai was an independent blog in Dubai, from 2002 until 2010. It generated a significant following in the Middle East Blogosphere until the UAE's Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE blocked the website.
Freedom of religion
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion in accordance with established customs, and the government generally respects this right in practice. However, there were some restrictions. It is an offence to proselyte other religions. The federal Constitution declares that Islam is the official religion of the country and this has been the basis of some rules in the country.
In recent years, a large number of Shia Muslim expatriates have been deported from the UAE,[120][121][122] Lebanese Shia families have been deported for their alleged sympathy for Hezbollah.[123][124][125][126][127][128] According to some organizations, more than 4,000 Shia expats have been deported from the UAE in recent years.[129][130] Shia Emiratis face significant social discrimination, many have opted to hide their Shia identity to avoid discrimination.
A worker at the Sheikh of Dubai's British palace was labelled "black slave" and told his Christian beliefs were "inferior and rubbish", according to Olatunji Faleye, who claims staff worked in a "culture of fear".[131]
Women's rights
UAE has signed the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Women in the UAE are given the right to travel without a male guardian's permission, the right to education and the right to drive motor vehicles.
Migrant and labour rights
Migrants, particularly migrant workers, make up a majority (approximately 80%) of the resident population of the UAE, and account for 90% of its workforce.[132] They generally lack rights associated with citizenship and face a variety of restrictions on their rights as workers.[133][134] There are reports of undocumented Emiratis who, because of their inability to be recognized as full citizens, receive no government benefits and have no labour rights. These stateless Emiratis — also known as bidun — either migrated to the UAE before independence or were natives who failed to register as citizens.[135] In addition, there are various incidents where local individuals have ill-treated people from overseas, just on the basis of nationality or race. [136]
Emiratis receive favorability in employment via the Emiratisation program forcing companies by law to limit the number of migrant workers in a company. This is done for the purposes of stabilizing the labor market and protecting the rights of this group as a minority in their own country. At the same time, however, due to the welfare benefits of the UAE government, many Emiratis are reluctant to take up low paying jobs especially those in the private sector; private sector employers are also generally more inclined to hire overseas temporary workers as they are cheaper and can be retrenched for various reasons, for example, if they go on strike[137][138][139][140] Most UAE locals also prefer government jobs and consider private sector jobs to be below them.[141] Very few foreigners have been granted citizenship.
Migrants, mostly of South Asian origin, constitute 42.5% of the UAE’s workforce[142] and have reportedly been subject to a range of human rights abuses. Workers have sometimes arrived in debt to recruitment agents from home countries and upon arrival were made to sign a new contract in English or Arabic that pays them less than had originally been agreed, although this is illegal under UAE law.[143] Further to this, some categories of workers have had their passports withheld by their employer. This practice, although illegal, is to ensure that workers do not abscond or leave the country on un-permitted trips.[144]
- In September 2003 the government was criticised by Human Rights Watch for its inaction in addressing the discrimination against Asian workers in the emirate.[145]
- In 2004, the United States Department of State has cited widespread instances of blue collar labour abuse in the general context of the United Arab Emirates.[146]
- The BBC reported in September 2004 that "local newspapers often carry stories of construction workers allegedly not being paid for months on end. They are not allowed to move jobs and if they leave the country to go home they will almost certainly lose the money they say they are owed. The names of the construction companies concerned are not published in the newspapers for fear of offending the often powerful individuals who own them.".[147]
- In December 2005 the Indian consulate in Dubai submitted a report to the Government of India detailing labour problems faced by Indian expatriates in the emirate. The report highlighted delayed payment of wages, substitution of employment contracts, premature termination of services and excessive working hours as being some of the challenges faced by Indian workers in the city.[148] The consulate also reported that 109 Indian blue collar workers committed suicide in the UAE in 2006.[149]
- In March 2006, NPR reported that workers "typically live eight to a room, sending home a portion of their salary to their families, whom they don't see for years at a time." Others report that their salary has been withheld to pay back loans, making them little more than indentured servants.[150]
- In 2007, the falling dollar meant workers were unable to service debts and the incidence of suicides among Indian workers had reportedly been on the increase.
2006 Workers' riots
Part of a series on |
Life in the United Arab Emirates |
---|
On 21 March 2006, tensions boiled over at the construction site of the Burj Khalifa as workers upset over low wages and poor working conditions rioted, damaging cars, offices, computers, and construction tools. A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused approximately US$1 million in damage. On 22 March most workers returned to the construction site but refused to work. Workers building a new terminal at Dubai International Airport went on strike in sympathy.[151] Another strike took place in October 2007. 4,000 strikers were arrested. Most of them were released some days later and were then deported from Dubai.
Government action
In the past, the UAE government has denied any kind of labor injustices and has stated that the accusations by Human Rights Watch were misguided.[152] Towards the end of March 2006, the government announced steps to allow construction unions. UAE labour minister Ali al-Kaabi said, "Laborers will be allowed to form unions."
The strikes and negative media attention provided exposure of this regional problem and in 2008 the UAE government decreed and implemented a "midday break" during summer for construction companies, ensuring laborers were provided several hours to escape the summer heat. Illegal visa overstayers were assured amnesty and even repatriated to their home countries at the expense of friends, embassies or charities.[153]
In July 2013, a video was uploaded onto YouTube, which depicted a local driver hitting an expatriate worker, following a road related incident. Using part of his head gear, the local driver whips the expatriate and also pushes him around, before other passers-by intervene. A few days later, Dubai Police announced that both, the local driver and the person who filmed the video, have been arrested. It was also revealed that the local driver was a senior UAE government official, although the exact government department is not known.[154] The video once again brings into question the way that lower classes of foreign workers are treated. Police in November 2013, also arrested a US citizen and some UAE citizens, in connection with a YouTube parody video which allegedly portrayed Dubai in bad light.[155] The parody video was shot in areas of Satwa and depicted gangs learning how to fight using simple weapons, including shoes, the aghal, etc.
In November 2013, there was another incident involving an American broadcast professional whom after obtaining a business license from the UAE government, started an Internet music station but his ex Emirati manager used his status and connections to not only block the American website and stream, but to submit a false report to the authorities, have the American citizen arrested, jailed for 10 days, and have his passport taken away for 10 months without ever charging him. The American citizen found a way to escape Dubai and after a perilous journey in August 2014, safely made it back to the U.S.
Labor law issues
The UAE has four main types of labor laws:
- Federal Labor Law – Applies to all the seven Emirates and supersedes free zone laws in certain areas.[156]
- JAFZA Labor Law – Applies to the Dubai Jebel Ali Free Zone.
- TECOM Labor Law – Applies to all Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone properties: Internet City, Media City, Studio City and International Media Production Zone.[157]
- DIFC Labor Law – Applies to all companies in the Dubai International Financial Center free zone.[158]
Labor laws generally favor the employer and are less focused on the rights of employees. The Ministry of Labor is criticized for loosely enforcing these laws, most notably late or no wage or overtime payment for both blue collar and white collar employees.[159][160][161]
Human trafficking and prostitution
According to the Ansar Burney Trust (ABT), an illegal sex industry thrives in the emirates, where a large number of the workers are victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, especially in Dubai. This complements the tourism and hospitality industry, a major part of Dubai's economy.[162]
Prostitution, though illegal by law, is conspicuously present in the emirate because of an economy that is largely based on tourism and trade. There is a high demand for women from Europe and Asia. According to the World Sex Guide, a website catering to sex tourists, Eastern European and Ethiopian women are the most common prostitutes, while Eastern European prostitutes are part of a well-organized trans-Oceanic prostitution network.[163] The government has been trying to curb prostitution. In March 2007, it was reported that the UAE has deported over 4,300 sex workers mainly from Dubai.[164][165]
The UAE government enshrines conservative values in its constitution and therefore has adopted significant measures to combat this regional problem. The government of the UAE has worked with law enforcement officials to build capacity and awareness through holding training workshops and implementing monitoring systems to report human rights violations. Despite this, the system led to registration of only ten human-trafficking related cases in 2007 and half as many penalized convictions.[166]
Businesses participating in exploiting women and conducting illegal activities have licenses revoked and operations are forced to close. In 2007, after just one year, the efforts led to prosecution of prostitution cases rose by 30 percent. A year later, an annual report on the UAE’s progress on human trafficking measures was issues and campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue are also planned.[167] Internationally, the UAE has led various efforts in combating human trafficking, particularly with the main countries of origin. The state has signed numerous bilateral agreements meant to regulate the labor being sent abroad by ensuring transactions are conducted by labor ministries and not profiting recruitment agencies.
Child camel jockeys
A 2004 HBO documentary accuses UAE citizens of illegally using child jockeys in camel racing, where they are subjected also to physical and sexual abuse. Anti-Slavery International has documented similar allegations.[168]
The practice is officially banned in the UAE since the year 2002. The UAE was the first to ban the use of children under 15 as jockeys in the popular local sport of camel-racing when Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs announced the ban on 29 July 2002.[169]
Announcing the ban, Sheikh Hamdan made it very clear that "no-one would be permitted to ride camels in camel-races unless they had a minimum weight of 45 kg, and are not less than 15 years old, as stated in their passports." He said a medical committee would examine each candidate to be a jockey to check that the age stated in their passport was correct and that the candidate was medically fit. Sheikh Hamdan said all owners of camel racing stables would be responsible for returning children under 15 to their home countries. He also announced the introduction of a series of penalties for those breaking the new rules. For a first offense, a fine of 20,000 AED was to be imposed. For a second offense, the offender would be banned from participating in camel races for a period of a year, while for third and subsequent offense, terms of imprisonment would be imposed.[13]
The Ansar Burney Trust,[170] which was featured heavily in the HBO documentary, announced in 2005 that the government of the UAE began actively enforcing a ban on child camel jockeys, and that the issue "may finally be resolved".[171]
Victim support
Special funds to provide support for victims have been created such as Dubai’s Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children, Abu Dhabi's Social Support Center, the Abu Dhabi Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking and the UAE Red Crescent Authority. Services offered include counseling, schooling, recreational facilities, psychological support and shelter. Mainly women and children receive assistance and in certain cases are even repatriated to their home countries.[172]
Abduction of Jaweed al-Ghussein
The late Jaweed al-Ghussein was escorted by the Abu Dhabi security police on 19 April 2001. Held for 3 days at the Bateen police station, al-Ghussein was allegedly denied his insulin, food and legal representation. No charges were made. On 22 April, he was escorted under armed guards allegedly put forcibly on Yasser Arafat's private jet, and accompanied by the elite force 17 and flown to al-Arish, Egypt, and then across the borders to the Gaza Strip, where he was held for 16 months. No legal procedures took place. Orders for his removal, considered illegal, were approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the Red Crescent in the UAE. Released from captivity in November after international pressure, al-Ghussein was allegedly abducted a second time by the Red Crescent in Cairo, Egypt while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer by the Egyptian national security and the Palestinian National Authority.
On 3 January 2002, the United Nations Committee on Arbitrary Detention released their findings and placed al-Ghussein in their highest category of human deprivation, category 1 'were manifestly there was no legal justification' and appointed a Special Rapporteur on Torture. Al Ghussein was released in August 2002 after mounting international pressure led by the late Palestinian leader Haider Abdel Shafi and mediated by Canon Andrew White, Middle East envoy to Lord Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury. The case was raised at the House of Lords by Lord Clive Soley in November 2009 who questioned the apparent lack of rule of law in Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi continues to deny the family their rights and have refused to co-operate with international agencies.
See also
- Human rights in Dubai
- LGBT rights in the United Arab Emirates
- Freedom of religion in the United Arab Emirates
- Communications in the United Arab Emirates
- Emirates Centre for Human Rights
- Human rights in Islamic countries
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Forced Disappearances and Torture in the United Arab Emirates" (PDF). Arab Organisation for Human Rights. November 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "UAE: Enforced Disappearance and Torture". Hrw.org. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008". Jeffrey T. Bergner. p. 2203.
- ↑ "Human Rights Watch warns expat women about the UAE". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "2013 Human Rights Reports: United Arab Emirates". US Department of State. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
Sharia (Islamic law) courts, which adjudicate criminal and family law, have the option of imposing flogging as punishment for adultery, prostitution, consensual premarital sex, pregnancy outside marriage, defamation of character, and drug or alcohol abuse.
- ↑ "U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: United Arab Emirates". Human Rights Voices.
- ↑ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007". p. 2092. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE: Judicial corporal punishment by flogging". World Corporal Punishment Research.
- ↑ "Dh500,000 expat verbal abuse case to be retried". The National. 8 December 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
In the UAE, only verbal abuse pertaining to the sexual honour of a person would be tried under Sharia. For guilt to be proven, the attack must have been made in public and one reliable witness must testify. If convicted, a person would be sentenced to 80 lashes and would never be accepted as a valid witness in a Sharia-based case.
- ↑ "Pregnant maid to get 100 lashes after being found guilty of illegal affair". 7daysindubai.com. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Teenager to be lashed for adultery". Gulf Daily News.
- ↑ "Illicit lovers sentenced to 100 lashes each". Gulf News. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Two women sentenced to death for adultery". Khaleej Times. 25 September 2013.
- ↑ "Prison for couple who conceived outside of wedlock".
KA, 19, Emirati, was sentenced to six months in prison. Her would-be husband, AM, Omani, was sentenced to 100 lashes and one year in prison.
- ↑ "Adulterer to be lashed, jailed in Sharjah". Gulf News. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE – Amnesty International 2007".
In June, in the Emirate of Fujairah, a Shari'a (Islamic) court imposed a sentence of death by stoning on Shahin 'Abdul Rahman, a Bangladeshi national, after convicting him of adultery with Asma Bikham Bijam, a migrant domestic worker, who was sentenced to receive a flogging of 100 lashes and to be imprisoned for one year.
- ↑ "Court jails pregnant Filipina in Fujairah". Emirates 247. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
A Filipina housemaid will be lashed 100 times on charges of stealing her employer in Fujairah after he discovered her pregnancy from an illegitimate relationship.
- ↑ "DUBAI: Alleged victim of gang rape sentenced to one year in prison". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
At that point, she was facing a penalty for extramarital sex, which is 100 lashes and a minimum of three years in prison.
- ↑ "2 men to be lashed for hitting woman in Fujairah". Emirates 247. March 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Drunk worker rapes 2-year-old girl in Abu Dhabi". Emirates247.com. January 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Man to get 80 lashes for drinking alcohol in Ajman". Gulf News.
- ↑ "Emirati man to be lashed, executed, for murder and drinking alcohol". Gulf News. May 2012.
- ↑ "German to receive 80 lashings in UAE". UPI. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Man who stabbed brother in drunken fight in Abu Dhabi jailed for year". The National. March 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
The younger brother admitted illegally consuming alcohol and was sentenced to 80 lashes - a punishment prescribed under Sharia.
- ↑ "Man appeals 80 lashes for drinking alcohol in Abu Dhabi". The National. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Husband jailed for letting friend abuse his wife". 7days.ae. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
As well as the jail term for rape, the Supreme Court also ordered that the defendants be given 80 lashes for drinking alcohol.
- ↑ "Cocaine trace due to drinking Red Bull Cola, Abu Dhabi court hears". The National.
The court cleared the man of the drug charge, but sentenced him to one month in prison for reckless driving and 80 lashes for drinking alcohol.
- ↑ "Man jailed for raping step-daughter". 7days.ae. 6 March 2013.
As well as the jail term he was also fined Dhs10,000 for reckless driving and will receive 80 lashes for drinking alcohol.
- ↑ "Drinking costs dad custody of kids". Emirates 247.
The expatriate father had won custody of his children during a previous court case in Ajman although it sentenced him to 80 lashes for drinking alcohol.
- ↑ "Fujairah man is jailed for drunken kidnap bid". 7days.ae.
The judge ordered that the Arab man, who is a Muslim, be lashed as a forensic report confirmed there was alcohol in his system, despite his denial. The 80 lashes were handed out according to Sharia law.
- ↑ "Emirati to be executed for murder in Fujairah". Emirates 247.
Defendant to get 80 lashes before execution for having alcohol.
- ↑ Al Jandaly, Bassma (16 April 2006). "Estonian soldier to be lashed". Gulf News.
- ↑ "Girl to receive 60 lashes for illicit sex". Gulf News.
- ↑ "Two sex workers are sentenced to lashes". Khaleej Times.
- ↑ "Indian lover in UAE sentenced to 60 lashes". Expressindia.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Motorist sentenced to 80 lashes for drink driving". 7days.ae. 26 November 2012.
- ↑ "VI. Charges and Penalties against Domestic Workers". Human Rights Watch. 2014.
- ↑ "Court jails pregnant Filipina in Fujairah". Emirates 247. 9 October 2013.
A Filipina housemaid will be lashed 100 times on charges of stealing her employer in Fujairah after he discovered her pregnancy from an illegitimate relationship.
- ↑ "Swaying car exposes Fujairah drunk driver". Emirates 247. 26 June 2013.
- ↑ "Drink-drive student to get 80 lashes". Khaleej Times. 27 March 2013.
- ↑ "Motorist sentenced to 80 lashes for drink driving". 7days.ae.
- ↑ "80 lashes and one month in jail for drink driving". Gulf News.
- ↑ "Drink driver sentenced to 80 lashes". The National.
- ↑ "4 years and 80 lashes for drug addict". Emirates 247.
- ↑ "80 lashes, jail for drink-driving upheld". Emirates 247.
- ↑ "Couple deny kissing on Abu Dhabi Corniche". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
A man jailed and sentenced to 80 lashes for drunkenly kissing his girlfriend on the Corniche.
- ↑ "Woman denies affair after hearing she faces stoning". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
Under the same law, premarital sex is punishable by 100 lashes.
- ↑ "Expat faces death by stoning after admitting in court to cheating on husband". 7daysdubai.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Woman Sentenced to Death by Stoning in UAE". Emirateswoman.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Asian housemaid gets death for adultery in Abu Dhabi". Qatarliving.com. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE: Death by stoning flogging". Amnesty International. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Man faces stoning in UAE for incest". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Woman denies affair after hearing she faces stoning". The National. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Hotel executive who had abortion gets jail term". The National. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ ""Change plea or you'll be stoned": Husband who admits cheating given legal advice by judge". 7days.ae. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "To avoid 100 lashes and prison, woman retracts plea in sex case". The National. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Lawyer urges acquittal of woman on zina charges". The National. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Atheists face death in 13 countries, global discrimination: study". Reuters.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "The International Briefing: Persecution of Atheists and Apostates". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE to deport expats abusing religions". Emirates 247. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 Butti Sultan Butti Ali Al-Muhairi (1996), The Islamisation of Laws in the UAE: The Case of the Penal Code, Arab Law Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 4 (1996), pp. 350-371
- ↑ Al-Muhairi (1997), Conclusion to the Series of Articles on the UAE Penal Law. Arab Law Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 4
- 1 2 "Divorcees, widows concerned about receiving 'permission' before remarrying". Thenational.ae. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 United Arab Emirates International Religious Freedom Report, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2009), state.gov; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
Facts as drug trafficking, homosexual behaviour, and apostasy are liable to capital punishment.
- 1 2 "Man Accused of "Gay Handshake" Stands Trial in Dubai". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/05/04/Nose-kiss-anyone-How-the-Gulf-Arab-greeting-has-evolved.html
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324209/Couple-sex-Dubai-taxi-jailed-months-losing-appeal.html
- ↑ http://www.thenational.ae/uae/police-officers-jailed-over-dubai-marina-yacht-sex-parties
- 1 2 "Britons 'liable to Sharia divorces' in UAE". BBC. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "The UAE Court System". Consulate General of the United States Dubai, UAE.
- ↑ "Federal Law No (3) of 1987 on Issuance of the Penal Code". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
- ↑ "Measures Against Corruptibility, Gifts and Gratification – Bribery in the Middle East" (PDF). Arab Law Quarterly. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Swearing on Whatsapp 'will result in £40,000 fine and deportation, UAE rules'". The Independent. 16 June 2015.
- ↑ "UAE Imposes over $68,000 Fine, Jail Term for Swearing on Whatsapp; Expatriates Face Deportation". International Business Times. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Man to face trial in UAE for swearing in WhatsApp message". 7days.ae. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "British Expats Face Being Deported From UAE For Swearing On WhatsApp". Yahoo News. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Australian woman deported from Abu Dhabi over Facebook post". Khaleej Times. 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "Australian woman deported from the UAE after Facebook post". Arabian Business. 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "Australian jailed over Facebook post deported from Abu Dhabi". Stuff.co.nz. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Expat deported after posting abusive message about parking on Facebook". 7days.ae. 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "Australian expat deported following Facebook post". Gulf News. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Amnesty International Report 1999 - United Arab Emirates". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates: Briefing for the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review" (PDF). p. 3. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates - Global Progress" (PDF). p. 3. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
Punishments include flogging, amputation, and – as retaliation – injury similar to that for which the offender has been convicted of inflicting on the victim.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices". Retrieved 27 October 2015.
In February an Indonesian woman convicted of adultery by the Shari'a court in the Emirate of Fujairah, was sentenced to death by stoning after she purportedly insisted on such punishment. The sentence was commuted on appeal to 1 year in prison, followed by deportation. In June 1998, the Shari'a court in Fujairah sentenced three Omani nationals convicted of robbery to have their right hands amputated. The Fujairah prosecutor's office instead commuted the sentence to a term of imprisonment.
- ↑ "Defining Sharia's role in the UAE's legal foundation". The National. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Crucifixion for UAE murderers". The Independent. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE: Further information on fear of imminent crucifixion and execution". Amnesty International. September 1997. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE: Fear of imminent crucifixion and execution". Amnesty International. September 1997.
- 1 2 "Sharia law and Westerners in Dubai: should non-Muslims in UAE be made to face Islamic justice?".
- ↑ Riazat Butt. "Britons warned to respect Ramadan while holidaying in Dubai". The Guardian. London, UK. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates: "There is no freedom here": Silencing dissent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)". Amnesty International. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Silencing dissent in the UAE" (PDF). Amnesty International. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE: Ruthless crackdown on dissent exposes 'ugly reality' beneath façade of glitz and glamour". Amnesty International.
- ↑ "Silencing dissent in the UAE" (PDF). Amnesty International. pp. 16–29, 35–45. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014.
- ↑ "UAE: Enforced Disappearances Continue". Ic4jhr.net. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Emirati victim of enforced disappearance seen in state security prison". Echr.org. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "UAE must reveal whereabouts of 'disappeared' Libyans and Emiratis". Middleeasteye.net. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "UAE's crackdown on democracy short-sighted". Middleeastmonitor.com. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ David Hearst (2013). "The UAE's bizarre, political trial of 94 activists". The Guardian.
- ↑ Ben Brumfield; Caroline Faraj; Saad Abedine (11 April 2013). "Man faces 10 months jail for tweets about trial in UAE". CNN. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ↑ "UAE: Reveal Whereabouts of 'Disappeared' Libyans". 5 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Urgent Action: Enforced Disappearance of Qatari Nationals" (PDF). Amnesty International.
- ↑ "Dubai drugs trial: Mother tells of 'torture horror'". BBC. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ↑ "Dubai drugs trial: David Cameron 'concerned' over torture claims". 29 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ↑ "Dubai pardons three Britons 'tortured' and jailed over drugs". The Guardian. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ↑ "ABC News Exclusive: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh". Abcnews.go.com. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ↑ Amena Bakr (14 December 2009). "UAE ruling family member says not guilty of torture". Reuters. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
- ↑ Amena Bakr (10 January 2010). "UAE ruling family member acquitted in torture trial". Reuters. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Rights group questions UAE trial". Al Jazeera. 11 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
- ↑ "US concern after UAE acquits sheikh in torture case". BBC News. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- ↑ "United Arab Emirates". 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ Freedom of speech in the UAE, wsws.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Pakistani TV channels may move out of Dubai Media City, GulfNews.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Archived April 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Geo TV hints at options outside of Dubai, NDTV.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- 1 2 "UAE: Cybercrimes Decree Attacks Free Speech". Human Rights Watch. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ↑ "Facebook rant lands US man in UAE jail". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Shiites deported from Gulf lament injustice". Daily Star. 4 July 2013.
- ↑ "Concern over deportations from Gulf Arab states". rte.ie. 5 July 2013.
- ↑ "UAE urged to allow appeal on deportations". Financial Times. July 2013.
- ↑ "UAE deportations raise questions in Lebanon". Global Post. July 2013.
- ↑ "Lebanese Shiites Ousted from Gulf over Hizbullah Ties". naharnet.com. July 2013.
- ↑ "Lebanese Living in UAE Fear Deportation". Al Monitor. 2013.
- ↑ "UAE Deports 125 Lebanese Citizens". Al Monitor. 2013.
- ↑ "UAE/Lebanon: Allow Lebanese/Palestinian Deportees to Appeal". Human Rights Watch. 2010.
- ↑ "Lebanese Families in UAE Face Deportations on Short Notice". Al Monitor. 2012.
- ↑ Ana Maria Luca (5 June 2013). "Hezbollah and the Gulf".
- ↑ "UAE said to deport dozens of Lebanese, mostly Shiite Muslims". Beirut: Yahoo! News. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ↑ Bullied staff worked in "culture of fear", dailymail.co.uk; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Essential Background: Overview of human rights issues in United Arab Emirates (UAE), hrw.org, 31 December 2005.
- ↑ Building Towers, Cheating Workers: Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in the United Arab Emirates, hrw.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Building Towers, Cheating Workers: Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in the United Arab Emirates" (PDF), hrw.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "The frustration of being a 'bidoon'". Thenational.ae. 2008-11-06. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ Za, Bassam (2015-08-16). "Man jailed for beating driver who asked him to use seat belt". GulfNews.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "ManpowerGroup". www.emiratisation.org. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ New emiratisation drive, gulfnews.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Call for cautious Emiratisation, GulfNews.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Rights group urges UAE not to deport strikers". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Emiratisation won't work if people don't want to learn". Thenational.ae. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Daily Commercial News - UAE workforce includes large number of workers from India, conference told". Dcnonl.com. 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Enforcing Migrant Workers' Rights in the United Arab Emirates". Ingentaconnect.com. 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Ministry vows to act over 'illegal' passport retention". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ Dubai: Migrant Workers at Risk, hrw.org, 19 September 2003.
- ↑ "2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – United Arab Emirates". U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Julia Wheeler, "Workers' safety queried in Dubai", bbc.co.uk, 27 September 2004.
- ↑ "Indian government gets report on problems of Indians in UAE", newKerala.com, 23 December 2005.
- ↑ "Blood, Sweat and Tears". aljazeera.net. Al Jazeera English. 15 August 2007. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008.
- ↑ Ivan Watson, "Dubai Economic Boom Comes at a Price for Workers", NPR.org, March 8, 2006
- ↑ Jim Krane,"Workers Riot at Site of Dubai Skyscraper" Archived December 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine., Breitbart.com, 22 March 2006.
- ↑ UAE to allow construction unions, BBC.co.uk, March 30, 2006, retrieved April 24, 2006.
- ↑ The Times (London), "Growth brings slow progress on human rights", 15 April 2008.
- ↑ "Senior UAE official arrested over driver attack -". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ Amira Agarib; Amanda Fisher. "Three held for parody video on Satwa streets". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Ministry Of Labour". Mol.gov.ae. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority". Tecom.ae. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ Archived May 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Human Rights Watch - VI. UAE Labor Law, hrw.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Unofficial Expat Resource, dubailabor.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ 1,600 workers march from Ajman to Sharjah over unpaid wages, gulfnews.com; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Web Review: Dubai, Dubai - The Scandal and The Vice, SocialAffairsUnit.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Stoenescu, Dan. "Globalising Prostitution in the Middle East" (PDF). American Center For International Policy Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
- ↑ Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ FRONTLINE/World - Rough Cut - Dubai: Night Secrets - The oldest profession in the newest playground, pbs.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ UAE-US Relations; Factsheet on "Initiatives to Combat Human Trafficking", uae-us.org; accessed 9 February 2009.
- ↑ "The Protection of the Rights of Workers" in the United Arab Emirates Annual Report 2007, UAE Ministry of Labour; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Anti-Slavery - photo gallery - Child camel jockeys in the UAE, antislavery.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ UAE enforces stringent steps to eradicate child jockeys, Khaleej Times, 24 May 2005.
- ↑ Ansar Burney Trust - Child Camel Jockeys - Modern Day Slavery, ansarburney.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Ban on child camel jockeys "may finally be resolved", cameljockeys.org; accessed 27 October 2015.
- ↑ "Initiatives to Combat Human Trafficking", uae-us.org; accessed 9 February 2009.
- This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.