United Arab Emirates
09.11.01
Urgent Interventions
Unites Arab Emirates: arbitrary arrest and detention of 5 Lybians, 1 died in detention
Case ARE 110901
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in United Arab Emirates.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source, of the arbitrary arrest and detention of five Libyan nationals, including a death in detention of one of their number, in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the information received, at least five Libyian nationals have been arbitrarily arrested in the United Arab Emirates by the police over the last two months and are reportedly being detained at the Al-Kahaldi police station, with no reasons for their arrest having been made public. Furthermore, one of the detainees, 39-year old Mr. Abdulallah Belqasem Algazal is reported to have died during his detention in the Al-Kahaldi police station, Abu Dhabi, on September 6th, 2001. The other detainees include: Ahmad Mohammad Ali Akak; Ali Bashir; Ali Amish; and Ahmad Ramadhan Hussain Qanud. It is reported that the detainees have been subjected to ill-treatment and torture during their detention.
According to the information received, Mr. Algazal was arrested at a mosque in Ajman on August 31st, 2001. On the same day his house was searched by a group comprising five men and one women from the State Security Agency, during which time they confiscated his passport. Mr. Algazal, the father of four children, the youngest of which is four months old, had fled from Libya in early 1989 during a wave of mass arrests targeting Islamic activists. He initially moved to Damascus, Syria, but had been living in the United Arab Emirates since 1997, where he worked as an accountant at a local company.
According to the information received, on September 6th, 2001, his wife was summoned to the Al-Khaladi police station, where she was informed that her husband had allegedly committed suicide while in custody, and his body was handed over to her for burial. His wife reportedly refused to accept the body and instead called for an autopsy to be conducted, after having seen the body and noticed visible traces of torture and an injury to Mr. Algazal's head. The post-mortem was scheduled for September 10th, 2001, but has been postponed until today, September 11th, allegedly for technical reasons. According to our sources, the intial impression of the pathologist is that the cause of the death may not have been suicide, as had been claimed by the police.
According to the information received, concerning the four other detainees, Mr. Amish was arrested on in May 2001, Mr. Akak and Mr. Bashir were arrested on July 3rd, 2001, and Mr. Qanud was arrested on August 31st, 2001. Mr. Qanud was arrested at a mosque in the Emirate of al-Sharjah, and his house was reportedly searched before he was taken to the Al-Kahalda police station. All of them are being held no formal reasons for their arrests having been made public to date. It is believed that they are likely being tortured during their detention. It is also thought that they may be at risk of being forcibly returned to Libya, where their lives would be further put at risk.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the death in detention of Mr. Algazal, as well as being concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the other detainees, in light of the alleged use of torture against these men. OMCT is also concerned about the possibility of these persons being deported to Libya, where they would likely face further human rights abuses.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in United Arab Emirates urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate compensation to Mr. Algazal’s family;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned detainees;
iii. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that those detained be allowed to meet with their relatives and legal counsel;
iv. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
v. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President al-Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Manhal Palace, PO Box 280, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Telexes: 22220 PALACE EM, Telegrams: President Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, UAE
· Minister of Interior, General Dr Mohammad Saeed al-Badi, PO Box 398, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Faxes: +971 2 4414938, Telegrams: Interior Minister, Abu Dhabi, UAE
· Minister of Justice & Islamic Affairs, Mohammad Nukhairah al-Dhahiri, Ministry of Justice & Islamic Affairs, PO Box 753 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Telegrams: Justice Minister, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Faxes: + 971 4 282 5557, email: mojia@uae.gov.ae
Please also write to the embassies of United Arab Emirates in your respective country.
Geneva, September 11, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in United Arab Emirates.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source, of the arbitrary arrest and detention of five Libyan nationals, including a death in detention of one of their number, in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the information received, at least five Libyian nationals have been arbitrarily arrested in the United Arab Emirates by the police over the last two months and are reportedly being detained at the Al-Kahaldi police station, with no reasons for their arrest having been made public. Furthermore, one of the detainees, 39-year old Mr. Abdulallah Belqasem Algazal is reported to have died during his detention in the Al-Kahaldi police station, Abu Dhabi, on September 6th, 2001. The other detainees include: Ahmad Mohammad Ali Akak; Ali Bashir; Ali Amish; and Ahmad Ramadhan Hussain Qanud. It is reported that the detainees have been subjected to ill-treatment and torture during their detention.
According to the information received, Mr. Algazal was arrested at a mosque in Ajman on August 31st, 2001. On the same day his house was searched by a group comprising five men and one women from the State Security Agency, during which time they confiscated his passport. Mr. Algazal, the father of four children, the youngest of which is four months old, had fled from Libya in early 1989 during a wave of mass arrests targeting Islamic activists. He initially moved to Damascus, Syria, but had been living in the United Arab Emirates since 1997, where he worked as an accountant at a local company.
According to the information received, on September 6th, 2001, his wife was summoned to the Al-Khaladi police station, where she was informed that her husband had allegedly committed suicide while in custody, and his body was handed over to her for burial. His wife reportedly refused to accept the body and instead called for an autopsy to be conducted, after having seen the body and noticed visible traces of torture and an injury to Mr. Algazal's head. The post-mortem was scheduled for September 10th, 2001, but has been postponed until today, September 11th, allegedly for technical reasons. According to our sources, the intial impression of the pathologist is that the cause of the death may not have been suicide, as had been claimed by the police.
According to the information received, concerning the four other detainees, Mr. Amish was arrested on in May 2001, Mr. Akak and Mr. Bashir were arrested on July 3rd, 2001, and Mr. Qanud was arrested on August 31st, 2001. Mr. Qanud was arrested at a mosque in the Emirate of al-Sharjah, and his house was reportedly searched before he was taken to the Al-Kahalda police station. All of them are being held no formal reasons for their arrests having been made public to date. It is believed that they are likely being tortured during their detention. It is also thought that they may be at risk of being forcibly returned to Libya, where their lives would be further put at risk.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the death in detention of Mr. Algazal, as well as being concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the other detainees, in light of the alleged use of torture against these men. OMCT is also concerned about the possibility of these persons being deported to Libya, where they would likely face further human rights abuses.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in United Arab Emirates urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate compensation to Mr. Algazal’s family;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned detainees;
iii. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that those detained be allowed to meet with their relatives and legal counsel;
iv. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
v. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President al-Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Manhal Palace, PO Box 280, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Telexes: 22220 PALACE EM, Telegrams: President Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, UAE
· Minister of Interior, General Dr Mohammad Saeed al-Badi, PO Box 398, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Faxes: +971 2 4414938, Telegrams: Interior Minister, Abu Dhabi, UAE
· Minister of Justice & Islamic Affairs, Mohammad Nukhairah al-Dhahiri, Ministry of Justice & Islamic Affairs, PO Box 753 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Telegrams: Justice Minister, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Faxes: + 971 4 282 5557, email: mojia@uae.gov.ae
Please also write to the embassies of United Arab Emirates in your respective country.
Geneva, September 11, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.