Thursday 11th May at 7.30pm

Join us on line: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81291825594?pwd=SzVUZkk1NUdlcVoyTFRrWFB2b2YxU…

We will be joined by Hamad Al Shamsi, an Emirati human rights defender. In 2013, together with the other members of the group known as the “UAE94”, Al Shamsi was convicted in absentia to 15 years of prison based on vague national security-related charges by the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi. He is currently living in exile.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continue their sustained assault on human rights and freedoms, including targeting human rights activists, enacting repressive laws, and using the criminal justice system as a tool to eliminate the human rights movement. These policies have led to the closure of civic space, severe restrictions on freedom of expression, both online and offline, and the criminalisation of peaceful dissent.