Free Salim Alaradi Campaign
Urgent Update – March 21st 2016
UAE State Security Prosecutor Drops Terrorism Charges and Submits New Ones Based on Penal Code; to Salvage Fabricated Case Built on Coerced Confessions
Canadian Citizen Detained in United Arab Emirates for 572 Days
Recent weeks of international pressure from Canada, the United States, the United Nations, human rights groups, judicial right groups and the #FreeSalimAlaradi and #FreetheEldarats campaigns followed by the acquittal of two Libyans last week in a parallel and identical trial have led to an unexpected and desperate attempt by the State Security Prosecution to salvage their fabricated case.
After 550 days of arbitrary detainment, confirmed torture, restrictions from legal representation and gross human rights violations the UAE State Security Prosecutor conceived baseless ‘terrorism’ charges and hastily accused the defendants with supporting two Libyan groups, alleging links to terrorism; but none of those groups appear on any terrorist list including the UAEs.
With common judges presiding over Canadian citizen Salim Alaradi’s trial and the case acquitted last week, in fear of losing two trials back-to-back the Prosecution made an uncommon and unexpected decision to withdraw all prior terrorism charges and submit a new charge sheet including one count of criminal activity and one misdemeanour without any reference to ‘terrorism’.
The prosecution scraped the use of UAE’s counterterrorism law 7-2014 which they had attempted to use retroactively and chose to charge the defendants under the UAE penal code for offences of hostile activity towards Libya by sending supplies and donations to the ‘February 17 Brigade’ and ‘Libya Dawn’, removing a reference to them as terrorist groups, without Ministry approval. The Libyan Attorney General categorically denied any wrong doings of these individuals, stated that there are no restrictions on them and they are not wanted by the Libyan Attorney General’s office.
The defense lawyer team brought forth an Emirati witness who has strong ties to senior officials of the UAE State Security. Under oath he confirmed that the humanitarian supplies and donations sent by the defendants were in fact sent with permission and awareness from the UAE government officials and sent to the Libyan National Transition Government. This testimony refuted the new charges introduced today by the Prosecutor.
The forensic medical report was presented to the court today and submitted that Alaradi had no injuries and scars that suggest mistreatment and torture. Alaradi, in his medical evaluation, showed the physician 15 scars ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 cm in size that remain on six placed of his body a year after his torture. Lawyers and families are disappointed but not surprised by the results. Lawyers have advised that considering the confirmed torture by the United Nations and the Canadian government, the results are a clear litmus test of whether Alaradi is truly being offered due process.
What took place today is an undisputable confirmation that the UAE State Security’s unjust insistence to charge these innocent political prisoners with new fabricated offences in order to misrepresent and distort the situation and avoid more acquittals.
Nevertheless, we call on the UAE judiciary not to tolerate the UAE State Security’s actions outside of the law and to continue to enforce due process as it did last week. We call on the Canadian government to intervene as any hopes of due process are quickly diminishing.
Recent Media Coverage
CNN Politics - Terror trial set to begin for U.S. citizens in United Arab Emirates
Rabble - Our friends the Gulf sheikhs and the case of Salim Alaradi
Human Rights First - Trial of U.S. Citizens Detained in UAE Resumes
Huffington Post World - We Will Not Stop Until Our Father Comes Home
Other Media Coverage
The Globe and Mail - Trial resumes in UAE for Canadian alleging torture
The Washington Post - U.S. citizens tortured into confessing terrorist ties in the UAE, family says
The Guardian - UAE beat foreign prisoners and gave them electric shocks, evidence shows
The Washington Post – Americans tortured by American ally
The Guardian - Two Americans detained in UAE to go on trial after 505 days without charges
BBC - UN experts urge UAE to release Libyan detainees
Guardian - Businessmen held in UAE were tortured into confessions, says UN report
New York Times - UN Calls on UAE to Release 5 Libyans Allegedly Tortured
ABC News - UN Calls on UAE to Release 5 Libyans Allegedly Tortured
FOX News - UAE accused of torturing 5 detainees, including 2 Americans
Daily Mail - UN calls on UAE to release 5 Libyans allegedly tortured
Globe and Mail - Canadian businessman Salim Alaradi on trial in Abu Dhabi in terror case
La Presse - L’ONU demande aux Émirats arabes unis de libérer un détenu canadien
Reuters - UN experts condemn trial of foreign nationals in the UAE, call for release
CBC - United Nations calls for Canadian Salim Alaradi’s release from U.A.E.
Huffington Post - Salim Alaradi Case: UN Calls On United Arab Emirates To Release Detained Canadian
CTV - UN calls on U.A.E. to release detained Canadian
Toronto Sun - UN calls for release of Canadian detained in UAE for year and a half
ICI Radio Canada - Le procès de Salim Alaradi aux Émirats arabes unis ajourné au 29 février
Middle East Eye - The UAE must free my brother, Salim Alaradi
Media Contacts
For further details about Salim Alaradi’s situation and the progress of the case in UAE:
Paul Champ, Human rights lawyer representing Salim Alaradi
T: (613) 237-2441
E: [email protected]
Greg Craig, Lawyer for US Nationals Kamal and Mohamed El Darat and former White House Counsel
T: +1.202.371.7400
E: [email protected]
Marwa Alaradi, Salim Alaradi’s eldest daughter
E: [email protected]
For comments about the UN News Release:
Ms. Amanda Flores, UN Human Rights Officer
T: + 41 22 917 9186
E: [email protected])
Ms. Sonia Cronin, UN Human Rights Officer
T: +41 22 917 9160
E: [email protected]
For comments about the case and the UN Opinion:
Geoffrey Robertson QC
T: + 44 (0) 7940 951731
E: [email protected]
Sue Willman, Deighton Pierce Glynn
T: +44 (0) 20 7407 0007
E: [email protected]
Andy Slaughter MP, Shadow Justice Minister
T: +44 (0)20 7610 1950
E: [email protected]
For further background about this case and related human rights concerns in UAE:
John Tackaberry, Media Officer, Amnesty International Canada
T: (613) 744-7667, extension 236
E: [email protected]
Monia Mazigh, National Coordinator-International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
T: (613) 241-5298
E: [email protected]
Nicholas McGeehan, UAE researcher at Human Rights Watch
E: [email protected]
Drewery Dyke, UAE Researcher at Amnesty International
T: +44 (0) 75 3558 7297
E: [email protected]
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For more details about the case please visit:
Campaign Website http://www.freesalimalaradi.com/
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/freesalimalaradi
Twitter Account https://twitter.com/freesalimaradi
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/freesalimalaradi
