Joint Statement: Lift travel ban on 2015 finalist Ahmed Mansoor, urges Martin Ennals Award Jury

Ten human rights groupsrepresented in the Martin Ennals Award Jury today called on the United ArabEmirates (UAE) authorities to lift the travel ban imposed on Ahmed Mansoor, oneof the three human rights defenders nominated for the 2015 Award, and to issuehim a passport.

Widely respected as oneof the few voices within the UAE to provide a credible independent assessmentof human rights developments in the country, Ahmed Mansoor regularly raisesconcerns regarding arbitrary detention, torture or degrading treatment, and failureto meet international standards of fair trial. He also draws attention to otherhuman rights abuses, including against migrant workers.

As a result, AhmedMansoor has faced repeated intimidation, harassment, and death threats from theUAE authorities or their supporters, including arrest and imprisonment in 2011following an unfair trial. He and four other activists who called fordemocratic rights in the UAE were jailed in 2011 on the charge of “insultingofficials”. Although pardoned and released later that year, Ahmed Mansoor hasbeen banned from travel and had his passport confiscated.

As a result of hiscourageous work, Ahmed Mansoor was selected as one of the three finalists ofthe Martin Ennals Award who will be recognized at a ceremony hosted by the cityof Geneva on October 6th. The Award is usually handed out by theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

As matters stand,however, Ahmed Mansoor will be prevented from attending the ceremony, to beheld in the city of in Geneva, because the UAE authorities have arbitrarilyimposed a travel ban on him and have refused to return his passport, which theyhave confiscated since 2011. Both the travel ban and the confiscation of hispassport violate Ahmed Mansoor’s right under international human rights law tofreedom of movement, as these measures were taken to punish him for hispeaceful human rights activism.

The Martin Ennals Award Jurytoday noted with concern : “Ahmed Mansoor’s absence at the ceremony would marka very disappointing position for the UAE, which is a country that pridesitself as one of the hubs of international business and tourism in the MiddleEast, as well a safe haven in the region. As a member of the UN Human RightsCouncil, which is running for a second term, we expect the UAE authorities tohonour their obligations to uphold human rights and protect human rights defenders.The UAE government must match its rhetoric on the international stage withmeaningful actions at home, starting with immediately lifting the travel ban onAhmed Mansoor, to returning and renewing his passport, and allowing him to travel to Genevafor the ceremony.”

Ahmed Mansoor is a memberof the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North AfricaDivision, as well as the Advisory Board of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights.

Martin Ennals Award Jury:

- AmnestyInternational,

- FIDH,

- Human RightsFirst,

- HURIDOCS,

- InternationalService for Human Rights,

- EWDE Germany,

- Front LineDefenders,

- Human RightsWatch,

- InternationalCommission of Jurists,

- World Organisation AgainstTorture.

For further information, please contact:

MEA: MichaelKhambatta +41 79 474 8208 khambatta@martinennalsaward.org

OMCT: Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui: +41228094924

The Press Release is available in:

English: United Arab Emirates_2015.09.15_MEA_Statement_English

Arabic: United Arab Emirates_2015.09.15_MEA_Statement_Arabic