DR.
HADEF AL-OWAIS

Background and Work

Dr. Hadef Rashid Abdullah Nasser Al-Owais is a legal scholar and human rights lawyer who held senior academic and international positions before his arrest. He completed a master's degree in law at Harvard University in 1985 and obtained his doctorate from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. He served as Head of the Law Department at the College of Sharia at UAE University and was a member of the International Court of Arbitration, contributing to the resolution of commercial disputes across borders.

Dr. Al-Owais was also active in civil society through his membership in the Society of Reform and Social Guidance, commonly known as the Al-Islah Society. The organisation, which combined social services with advocacy for political participation, became a focal point for government crackdowns following the Arab Spring.

The Petition and the UAE94 Case

In March 2011, a group of 133 Emirati citizens—including academics, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders—signed a petition addressed to the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Federal Supreme Council. The document called for democratic reforms, including direct elections and greater legislative authority for the Federal National Council. Rather than engaging with the demands, the State Security Apparatus initiated a campaign of arrests targeting the signatories.

Dr. Al-Owais was arrested on 12 September 2012 as part of what became known as the UAE94 mass trial. On 27 January 2013, ninety-four defendants were charged with founding, organising, and administering an organisation aimed at overthrowing the government, under Article 180 of the Penal Code. The trial took place before the Federal Supreme Court, a venue that offers no right of appeal. On 2 July 2013, sixty-one of the ninety-four defendants were convicted. Dr. Al-Owais received a sentence of ten years' imprisonment followed by three years of probation.

Extended Detention and the UAE84 Retrial

Dr. Al-Owais's sentence was due to end in September 2022. He was not released. Instead, authorities invoked the Counter-Terrorism Law and the Munasaha Centre Law—legislation that permits indefinite detention on the grounds of "rehabilitation needs"—and transferred him to a facility operated by the State Security Apparatus. This legal mechanism has been used to hold multiple UAE94 defendants beyond the expiry of their sentences.

On 7 December 2023, Dr. Al-Owais appeared before the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal in a new mass trial involving eighty-four defendants. He faced fresh terrorism charges, accused of founding and managing the Justice and Dignity Committee with the aim of committing terrorist acts on UAE soil. On 10 July 2024, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment—equivalent under UAE law to twenty-five years. This brought his total period of incarceration, including the expired first sentence, to thirty-five years.

Detention Conditions and Contact with Family

Throughout his detention, Dr. Al-Owais has been subjected to ill-treatment. He has been denied family visits for extended periods and deprived of adequate medical care. He has been placed repeatedly in solitary confinement, a practice that amounts to psychological torture when prolonged or indefinite.

On 1 December 2023, he was able to call his family from an unknown facility belonging to the State Security Apparatus. This was a rare instance of contact. The location of his current detention remains undisclosed, and his access to legal counsel and family remains severely restricted.

International Response

The UAE94 and UAE84 trials have drawn sustained criticism from international human rights organisations, UN special rapporteurs, and foreign governments. The proceedings have been condemned for violations of fair trial standards, including lack of access to legal counsel, reliance on confessions allegedly extracted under duress, and the use of counter-terrorism legislation to criminalise peaceful advocacy.

Dr. Al-Owais's case exemplifies the pattern of arbitrary detention and judicial harassment faced by those who called for political reform in the UAE. His continued imprisonment, despite having completed his original sentence, underscores the use of indefinite detention mechanisms as a tool of political repression.