- Press Releases
- UAE
British PhD Student Matthew Hedges Given Life Sentence
Letter (co-signed by Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) to UAE authorities condemning the sentencing of British PhD student Matthew Hedges to life imprisonment for ‘spying’ supposedly on behalf of the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service.
Press Release on Deteriorating Security Conditions for Researchers in the United Arab Emirates
At its 52nd annual meeting, MESA's Board of Directors issued a statement of concern on the deteriorating security conditions for researchers in the United Arab Emirates.
Detention and upcoming trial of Matthew Hedges
Letter to UAE authorities regarding Matthew Hedges, a British PhD student from Durham University who has been detained by State Security since May 2018 and has been accused of spying for a foreign government.
UAE sentences Ahmed Mansoor to 10 years
Human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor has been sentenced to 10 years for using his social media accounts to publish "false information" and "spread hatred and sectarianism".
Continuing detention without trial of Ahmed Mansoor
Letter to UAE authorities regarding the one-year anniversary of the detention of Ahmed Mansoor, an internationally-acclaimed human rights activist and recipient of the 2015 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, and drawing attention to the imprisonment of dozens of other academics, lawyers, opposition figures, and human rights activists in the UAE.
Denial of security clearance and visas to two NYU professors scheduled to teach classes at NYU Abu Dhab
Letter to UAE authorities to protest the denial of security clearance and visas to two NYU professors scheduled to teach classes at NYU Abu Dhabi
UAE’s denial of visas to two NYU professors.
Letter to the president of NYU regarding the UAE's denial of visas to two NYU professors
Concern and Support for Nasser bin Ghaith sentenced to 10 years
Letter to UAE authorities to protest the ten-year prison sentence of economist, academic and prominent human rights defender, Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith about whom CAF-MENA has written several times, and to urge the leadership to intervene promptly to reverse the Court’s decision.
Arrest and Detention of Ahmed Mansoor
Letter to UAE authorities regarding the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights activist and 2015 recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.
Concern over UAE trend to silence academics and public intellectuals
Letter to UAE authorities protesting deteriorating conditions relative to academic freedom and freedom of expression.
Blacklisting and harassment of scholars
Letter to Qatari king protesting the denial of a student visa to Kristina Bogos, and to Qatari and Emirati authorities for engaging in blacklisting and forms of harassment of certain scholars.
Concern over disappearance and ill-treatment of Nasser bin Ghaith
Second letter to Emirati authorities protesting the “disappearance” and ill-treatment of Emirati economist Nasser bin Ghaith and insisting that his upcoming trial be fair along with full access to legal defense.
Emirati Abdulkhaleq Abdulla Denied Entry into Bahrain
Letter to Bahraini king protesting the denial of entry to Professor Abdulkhaleq Abdullah and the decision of Bahraini authorities to declare him persona non grata.
Re-arrest of Nasser bin Ghaith: No Information about Whereabouts or Reason for Arrest
Letter to UAE officials regarding the August 18 re-arrest of Professor Nasser bin Ghaith whose whereabouts are unknown and has not been heard from since.
Denial of entry to the UAE of NYU Professor Andrew Ross
Letter to the UAE Minister of the Interior and Ambassador to the United States, and to NYU President John Sexton and NYU-Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom, protesting the denial of entry to the UAE of NYU Professor Andrew Ross.
UAE Officials Denying Entry to Kristian Coates Ulrichsen for Views De-legitimizing the Bahraini Monarchy
Complaint to UAE officials for denying entry to Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Co-Director of the Kuwait Research Programme at the London School of Economics (LSE), who on February 22 was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates “for consistently propagated views de-legitimizing the Bahraini monarchy.”