human rights defender
Abdulsalam Al-Marzooqi
Actions and Campaigns
Abdulsalam Al-Marzooqi
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Urgent support needed
In September 2013, Al-Marzooqi suffered from a facial nerve paralysis, but requests by his family to allow al-Marzooqi to access medical treatment were rejected. He was also denied physiotherapy and medical care for his back pain. Al-Marzooqi’s health condition has significantly deteriorated, as a result of deliberate medical negligence and denial of appropriate medical care.
Organization affiliation
- Justice and Dignity Committee
HRD's year of birth
1970
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Other
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
Abdul-Salam Mohammed Darwish Al-Marzooqi is an Emirati national, from the Emirate of Sharjah. He worked as Chief of the Family Counselling Department in the Courts of Dubai and General Supervisor of Bedaya “Beginning” TV channel. He was arrested on 24 July 2012 for signing the petition calling for democratic reform in the UAE.
Detained since
Jul 24, 2012
Date of release
Jul 24, 2012
Charge(s)
- Terrorism
Sentence
35 years
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Al-Marzooqi was held in solitary confinement in a secret location for eight months. He was deprived of his right to see his lawyer and his family and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including threats to cut off his medicine. On 26 November 26 2012, Al-Marzooqi was allowed to see his family members for the first time at the State Prosecution’s office. His family reported that he appeared to be in poor health. To protest his ill-treatment, Al-Marzooki went on a hunger strike, which aggravated his health problems. Al-Marzooqi’s citizenship was also revoked in November 2013 as an additional reprisal measure for his activism. In January 2017, Al-Marzooqi’s wife received a phone call from the Nationality and Passport Department in which she was informed that the citizenships of her children had been revoked. Since May 2017, Al-Marzooqi has also not been allowed to contact his wife, his sons and two of their daughters via phone calls. His only daughter, human rights defender Jenan Al-Marzooqi, who remained in the UAE was unable to visit him from August 2017 until March 2020 and their phone calls are frequently interrupted and monitored.
Recent case update / evolution
In March 2011, after a group of 133 Emirati academics, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders signed a petition addressed to the President of the United Arab Emirates and the country’s Federal Supreme Council calling for democratic reforms, the UAE’s State Security Apparatus (SSA) initiated a campaign of arrests against the individuals who signed the document. Al-Marzooqi was arrested on July 24, 2012, as part of the “UAE94” for signing the petition calling for democratic reform in the UAE. Arrested individuals were later sentenced in the UAE’s largest mass trial, known as the “UAE94”, before the Federal Supreme Court. On January 27, 2013, the 94 defendants were charged with founding, organising and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, on the basis of article 180 of the penal code. On July 2, 2013, the Emirati authorities convicted 61 of the 94 defendants, and Al-Marzooqi was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment followed by three years’ probation. Al-Marzooqi’s sentence ended in July 2022, but under the pretext of “rehabilitation needs”, pursuant to the UAE’s Counter-Terrorism Law and the Munasaha Centre Law, the authorities have extended his detention indefinitely. On December 7, 2023, a new mass trial began before the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal, where Al-Marzooqi was retried for new terrorism charges. On 10 July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court meted out sentences ranging from between 10 years to life in prison for 53 defendants in the UAE’s second largest unfair mass trial which is known as the UAE84 case. Al-Marzooqi was sentenced to life in prison, which is tantamount to 25 years in prison, “for the crime of establishing, founding and managing” the Justice and Dignity Committee, allegedly “with the aim of committing terrorist acts on the country’s soil”. On December 1, 2023, Al-Marzooqi called his family from the inside of an unknown facility belonging to the State Security Apparatus (SSA).
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1970
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- Other
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Organization affiliation
- Justice and Dignity Committee
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
Abdul-Salam Mohammed Darwish Al-Marzooqi is an Emirati national, from the Emirate of Sharjah. He worked as Chief of the Family Counselling Department in the Courts of Dubai and General Supervisor of Bedaya “Beginning” TV channel. He was arrested on 24 July 2012 for signing the petition calling for democratic reform in the UAE.
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Western Asia
- Detained since
- Jul 24, 2012
- Current Status
- In prison (sentenced)
- Date of release
- Jul 24, 2012
- Charge(s)
- Terrorism
- Sentence
35 years
- Recent case update / evolution
In March 2011, after a group of 133 Emirati academics, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders signed a petition addressed to the President of the United Arab Emirates and the country’s Federal Supreme Council calling for democratic reforms, the UAE’s State Security Apparatus (SSA) initiated a campaign of arrests against the individuals who signed the document. Al-Marzooqi was arrested on July 24, 2012, as part of the “UAE94” for signing the petition calling for democratic reform in the UAE. Arrested individuals were later sentenced in the UAE’s largest mass trial, known as the “UAE94”, before the Federal Supreme Court. On January 27, 2013, the 94 defendants were charged with founding, organising and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, on the basis of article 180 of the penal code. On July 2, 2013, the Emirati authorities convicted 61 of the 94 defendants, and Al-Marzooqi was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment followed by three years’ probation. Al-Marzooqi’s sentence ended in July 2022, but under the pretext of “rehabilitation needs”, pursuant to the UAE’s Counter-Terrorism Law and the Munasaha Centre Law, the authorities have extended his detention indefinitely. On December 7, 2023, a new mass trial began before the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal, where Al-Marzooqi was retried for new terrorism charges. On 10 July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court meted out sentences ranging from between 10 years to life in prison for 53 defendants in the UAE’s second largest unfair mass trial which is known as the UAE84 case. Al-Marzooqi was sentenced to life in prison, which is tantamount to 25 years in prison, “for the crime of establishing, founding and managing” the Justice and Dignity Committee, allegedly “with the aim of committing terrorist acts on the country’s soil”. On December 1, 2023, Al-Marzooqi called his family from the inside of an unknown facility belonging to the State Security Apparatus (SSA).
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Al-Marzooqi was held in solitary confinement in a secret location for eight months. He was deprived of his right to see his lawyer and his family and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including threats to cut off his medicine. On 26 November 26 2012, Al-Marzooqi was allowed to see his family members for the first time at the State Prosecution’s office. His family reported that he appeared to be in poor health. To protest his ill-treatment, Al-Marzooki went on a hunger strike, which aggravated his health problems. Al-Marzooqi’s citizenship was also revoked in November 2013 as an additional reprisal measure for his activism. In January 2017, Al-Marzooqi’s wife received a phone call from the Nationality and Passport Department in which she was informed that the citizenships of her children had been revoked. Since May 2017, Al-Marzooqi has also not been allowed to contact his wife, his sons and two of their daughters via phone calls. His only daughter, human rights defender Jenan Al-Marzooqi, who remained in the UAE was unable to visit him from August 2017 until March 2020 and their phone calls are frequently interrupted and monitored.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Urgent support needed
In September 2013, Al-Marzooqi suffered from a facial nerve paralysis, but requests by his family to allow al-Marzooqi to access medical treatment were rejected. He was also denied physiotherapy and medical care for his back pain. Al-Marzooqi’s health condition has significantly deteriorated, as a result of deliberate medical negligence and denial of appropriate medical care.
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
sorted by
Date added
7 relationships, 6 entities