Saleh al-Dhafeery was arrested on 5 March 2011 after expressing critical opinions of the regime in general and the State Security in particular during a talk show on al-Hiwar TV channel.
(ANHRI/IFEX) – Cairo, 7 March 2012 – ANHRI condemns the Emirati government for its arrest of Saleh al-Dhafeery, activist, on 5 March 2012 on the pretext of criticizing the state’s management on a talk show aired on a satellite channel. The Emirati security forces stormed al-Dhafeery’s house on Monday, 5 March and arbitrarily arrested him because of his political activity and critical opinions of the Emirati regime in general and the State Security in particular, as he highlighted in a talk show on al-Hiwar channel.
An official spokesman of Dubai Police said that al-Dhafeery was arrested on charges of “promoting ideas that would provoke strife and harm national unity and social peace verbally or in writing or in any other means.” He also affirmed that al-Dhafeery will be referred to the public prosecution in 48 hours time, stressing that the law punishes strife-makers and that the defendant’s action is subject to federal law.
“Detaining a citizen for expressing his views is regrettable and unacceptable. It is a shame that the number of violations against freedom of opinion and expression have recently increased in Emirates,” said ANHRI.
Based on this, ANHRI calls on the Emirati government to reconsider the arbitrary arrest of activists and the prosecution of citizens for expressing their views on social networks and other media.
