News - Middle East: Amnesty International called on the UAE, on Monday, to "immediately" release ten men who it said were being arbitrarily detained after serving their sentences.

They were detained "under the guise of counter-extremism counseling," according to Amnesty. The ten UAE citizens were among 69 nationals arrested in 2012 and sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in 2013. They were also among 94 defendants, including 13 women.

In a statement, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Lynn Maalouf said, "These men have already spent a decade behind bars for daring to speak out against the Emirati authorities or being perceived as political opposition, and now this injustice is being prolonged past their long-awaited release dates." 

"UAE authorities must immediately release anyone detained beyond the completion of their prison sentence, and cease the unlawful practice of arbitrarily extending prison terms," Maalouf stressed.

The sentence was based on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, which Amnesty International criticized as "grossly unfair", slamming the charges as "bogus".

According to the official WAM news agency at the time, the Federal Supreme Court sentenced 56 of the 94 defendants to ten years in prison each. Five defendants were sentenced to seven years in prison each, while eight others who were tried in absentia were sentenced to 15 years, according to the report. A total of 25 people, including all 13 women arrested during the crackdown, were acquitted.

Their trial was considered the largest in the UAE's history. This is clear proof that the UAE continues to violate serious human rights, including arbitrary detention, cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees, repression of free expression, and violation of the right to privacy.

Source: Al-Mayadeen