Free Salim ALARADI Campaign
Press Release –October 29th, 2015
Canadian Salim ALARADI’s Family Issues a Legal Response to his Continued Arbitrary Detainment
Canadian Citizen Detained in UAE for 428 Days
Salim ALARADI’s family has consulted international human rights lawyers, some with expertise in UAE law, in Canada, London, Geneva, and Libya. Based on independent assessments of ALARADI’s situation, the family has released a legal response to the conditions he continues to be subjected to.
The response highlights ultimately that the UAE is in an unresolvable legal predicament; after kidnapping a Canadian without an arrest warrant, subjecting him to enforced disappearance in an unknown location incommunicado, denying him his consular rights and restricting the Canadian authorities from gaining access to him, subjecting him to grave crimes of torture, denying him legal representation, not promptly bringing him before a judge in a public and fair trial, and never offering him the nature of the accusations let alone charges.
ALARADI’s detainment was orchestrated outside of the law by the UAE state security which is operating independently without legal, judicial or international considerations. The procedures from the day of the kidnapping have been arbitrary and as such all subsequent actions and any future actions taken against ALARADI are arbitrary and unlawful. Lawyers have confirmed that ALARADI has not committed any crime.
The legal response confirms that all actions taken against ALARADI are a violation of both UAE domestic law and international laws of which the UAE is a party to.
The legal response can be found on the campaign website by clicking here.
Human Rights Organization Reports:
Amnesty Urgent Action – April 17 2015
Amnesty Urgent Action – September 24, 2014
Background:
Between August and September 2014 the UAE Authorities detained 10 foreign business men of Libyan nationality. These 10 include two Canadians and two Americans. Many of the detainees have lived in the UAE for over two decades and have contributed to its business community and are highly respected.
Amnesty International has issued two Urgent Actions and Human Rights Watch has also issued a report. They have defined the arrests as enforced disappearance and the detainments as incommunicado.
Detainees have been denied legal counsel and their families are not able to engage lawyers until the detainees are placed into the judicial system. Human rights organizations have suggested the arrests are politically motivated to place pressure on the Libyan government in which the UAE government does not support.
The UAE is in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The detainees have been denied reasonable communication with their family members.
Family and friends began their campaign in April through social media and have gained significant following and support from Canadians from across the country. Over 2500 Canadians have signed an online petition calling for Salim’s release.
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For more information contact the ALARADI family at [email protected]
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
