Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities to remove the terrorism designation of 11 political opponents, relatives, and eight companies they own.
In January, the UAE government released the cabinet’s decision, Resolution No. (1) of 2025 Regarding Approving the List of Terrorist Persons and Organizations, authorizing a list including 11 individuals and eight organizations due to alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist organization. The UAE listed the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2014.
HRW reported that there was a lack of due process as none of the individuals were informed before the designation and that the move represents an escalation of transnational repression, “targeting not only dissidents but also their family members.”
HRW found that Article 1 of the UAE’s 2014 Federal Law Number 7 of 2014 on Combating Terrorism Offenses has a broad definition, allowing for the executive branch of government to name individuals as terrorists without a clear procedure. Under cabinet Decision No. 74/2020individuals face frozen assets and confiscation of property.
The listed individuals found out about their being listed from an article published by Emirates News Agency-WAM, UAE’s official state news agency. None of the individuals are listed on the UN Global Sanctions list, the EU Sanctions list, or Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.
HRW categorizes the move as a “a mockery of the rule of law” and found that the eight companies were registered in the UK and were either currently or formerly owned by the Emirati dissidents or their relatives. Nine of the 11 individuals or their family were political dissenters.
According to Emirates News Agency-WAM, the UAE are working, “both locally and internationally, to target and dismantle networks linked to the financing of terrorism and related activities, both directly and indirectly.”
The UAE has denounced terrorism and has released various legislation to combat extremist ideologies that promote violence and to criminalize terrorism, such as Federal Law Number 7 of 2014 on Combating Terrorism Offenses, Federal Decree-Law Number 2 of 2015 on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, Federal Decree-Law No. (34) of 2021 On Countering Rumors and Cybercrimes, and Federal Decree-Law Number 20 of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations.
While governments have a duty to protect their citizens from terrorism, international human rights and humanitarian law affirms that counterterrorism measures must comply with human rights standards. UAE is a member of the UN, which established resolution 1456 (2003). Member states must conform to international law obligations and ensure measures respect international human rights. The UN’s Commission on Human Rights in Human Rights Resolution 2005/80 confirms the importance of human rights, even in response to terrorism, and recognizes “that the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law are interrelated and mutually reinforcing.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ensures the right to a fair and public trial with an independent and impartial tribunal, freedom of thought, expression and opinion “without interference” and protections from arbitrary attack on honor and reputation and arbitrary arrest, detention, and exile.
