Two hundred activists were stripped of their residency visas after they protested in front of the Syrian consulate in Dubai.
(ANHRI/IFEX) – 27 February 2012 – ANHRI condemns the Emirati authorities for cancelling the residency visas of dozens of Syrian activists after they organized a demonstration to denounce the crimes of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
On 10 February 2012, approximately 200 Syrians organized a demonstration in front of the Syrian consulate in Dubai, in condemnation of the massacres being committed by al-Assad’s regime. Afterwards, they were summoned by the Emirati authorities and made to sign a pledge not to demonstrate again. The activists were then summoned again by the residency authority, which canceled their residency visas and gave the activists 10 days to leave the country. Since it is impossible to return to Syria under the current circumstances, some of them have left for Egypt, and some left for other neighboring countries.
“It is incomprehensible to deport activists because of their participation in a peaceful demonstration to express their condemnation of the repressive practices carried out by al-Assad. It is also a contradiction of the official Emirati rejection of what is taking place in Syria,” said ANHRI.
“It is unacceptable that the Emirates deports Syrian activists at such a time when they cannot go back home because of the daily massacres perpetrated against civilians,” added ANHRI.
Based on this, ANHRI calls on the Emirati authorities to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression and not to penalize those who take part in peaceful demonstrations with deportation.
