Sheikh Mohammed Al-Siddiq

Background and Work

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Siddiq was born in 1964 and became a prominent religious scholar and educator in the UAE. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sharia from UAE University and a Master's degree in Jurisprudence from the Sharia College in Riyadh. From 2001 to 2007, he taught in the Department of Jurisprudence at the University of Sharjah. He served on the boards of several Sharia bodies in Islamic financial institutions and was a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and the Association of Sharia Scholars within the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Al-Siddiq founded and led the Afaq Development Foundation for Studies and Consultations in Dubai and directed the Dar Al-Khairat Foundation. He supervised the Zayed Center for Quran Memorization and hosted television programs for Sharjah TV. His academic and community contributions earned him the Citizens on the Path to Excellence award and the Rashid Award for Academic Excellence.

In 2011, Al-Siddiq co-founded Eslah, a civil society organization advocating for democratic reform. On 3 March 2011, he was one of 133 signatories to a petition addressed to the President of the UAE and the Federal Supreme Council calling for legislative reforms, universal suffrage, and the election of the Federal National Council by direct ballot.

Citizenship Revocation and Arrest

In December 2011, the UAE authorities revoked Al-Siddiq's citizenship without judicial order, accusing him of actions deemed a threat to state sovereignty. On 9 April 2012, state security officers arrested him as part of a campaign targeting signatories of the 2011 petition. At the time of his arrest, he was given a choice: leave the country or remain and face prosecution. He chose to stay.

Following his arrest, Al-Siddiq was subjected to enforced disappearance. He was held incommunicado for months, during which he was tortured. He was severely beaten and received death threats. His family did not know his whereabouts until he appeared at the start of his trial in March 2013.

The UAE94 Trial and First Sentence

On 4 March 2013, Al-Siddiq appeared in court for the first time along with 93 other defendants in what became known as the UAE94 trial. The Federal Supreme Court charged the 94 defendants on 27 January 2013 with founding, organizing, and administering an organization aimed at overthrowing the government, under article 180 of the penal code. Al-Siddiq was denied legal representation. He was permitted only limited presence in court proceedings.

On 2 July 2013, the court convicted 61 of the 94 defendants. Al-Siddiq was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment followed by three years of probation. He was transferred to Al-Razeen prison in Abu Dhabi, where he has been held ever since.

Detention Conditions and Health

Throughout his detention, Al-Siddiq has been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement. He was kept handcuffed and shackled for extended periods, deprived of access to a bathroom, and denied adequate healthcare. He suffers from diabetes, a chronic condition requiring a special diet and medication. Poor nutrition in detention caused significant weight loss and deterioration of his health.

Authorities confiscated his personal belongings, including books, pens, and paper, and prohibited him from practicing religious rituals. He was denied permission to attend his mother's funeral and has been isolated from his family for years. Since March 2020, his family has been barred from visiting him in prison, despite the installation of protective glass barriers between detainees and visitors. He is deprived of telephone contact with his family for weeks at a time.

Al-Siddiq's children were stripped of their Emirati citizenship. His family was denied passport renewals and other official documentation, effectively cutting them off from access to education and other social rights.

Indefinite Detention and the UAE84 Retrial

Al-Siddiq's ten-year sentence was due to expire in April 2022. Instead of releasing him, the authorities extended his detention indefinitely under the pretext of "rehabilitation needs," invoking the UAE's Counter-Terrorism Law and the Munasaha Centre Law. The Munasaha Centre is a so-called counseling facility used to detain individuals beyond the end of their sentences without judicial review.

On 7 December 2023, a new mass trial began before the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal. Al-Siddiq was retried on new terrorism charges. He was accused of establishing, founding, and managing the Justice and Dignity Committee, allegedly with the aim of committing terrorist acts on UAE soil. On 10 July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court sentenced Al-Siddiq to life imprisonment, which under UAE law is equivalent to 25 years. The trial, known as the UAE84 case, resulted in sentences ranging from ten years to life for 53 defendants. It was the UAE's second-largest mass trial and violated international fair-trial standards.

International Response

The UAE94 and UAE84 trials have been condemned by international human rights organizations as politically motivated prosecutions targeting peaceful advocates for democratic reform. Al-Siddiq's indefinite detention beyond the end of his original sentence, his re-prosecution on new charges after serving his time, and the denial of fair-trial guarantees have been documented as violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the UAE is not a party but which reflects customary international law. His case remains emblematic of the UAE's systematic suppression of civil society and dissent.