19 Sep 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Prominent UAE blogger Ahmed Mansoor says that he was beaten by an unidentified man on 17 September. Mansoor was attacked as he was approaching his car at Ajman University of Science and Technology, where he studies law. The attacker knocked Mansoor to the ground and began punching him, but ran away once people entered the parking lot. Once Mansoor was free, he tried to follow him, but was quickly blocked by another unidentified man, who drove off with the attacker. Mansoor says this is the second time that he has been beaten. The United Arab Emirates has been cracking down on political activists and groups, most recently arresting 13 activists tied to Islamist group al-Islah on 16 July. Mansoor was imprisoned and released last year for posting messages critical of political figures in the now-banned UAE Hewar forum. The blogger has been active in speaking out against the crackdown, which has also resulted in the arrest of prominent human rights activist and lawyer, Mohammed al-Roken.
17 Jul 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
The United Arab Emirates deported an online activist to Thailand yesterday, it has been reported. Ahmed Abdul Khaleq was stripped of his rights to live in the country as a result of his campaigning. His website included appeals for a greater public role in the UAE’s political affairs. Political parties are banned in the Gulf nation. Khaleq was among five other activists who were convicted last year of anti-state crimes for insulting the UAE’s leaders. They were later pardoned, but the charges against them were not officially dropped.
25 Apr 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
A rapper has been sentenced to a minimum of three months in prison after releasing a violent music video in the UAE. The singer, known as Dangour, was arrested in June. In the footage, Dangour raps about drug abuse and his hatred of white people. A clip went viral on messaging service BBM, and several people complained to the police. The court ruled that the rapper created the video to make people scared of him and issued the “light sentence”. They added that it “harmed public decency and order and spread terror and panic among people”.
02 Mar 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa
A 42-year-old Emirati man faces up to three years in prison or a fine of 30,000 AED (£5,122) for tweeting insults to a public official. The man reportedly sent messages “using foul language” to Police Chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, and in court denied insulting the official, claiming that his comments were actually aimed at Tamim’s cronies. Tamim filed the case against the man after he reportedly tweeted insults at him for a second time. His case has now been adjourned to 11 March after his request for bail was rejected by a judge on Wednesday.
