Sit-in opposite London UAE embassy counteracting restriction of public freedoms in UAE
Express News
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
London – QudsPress
Emirati and Arab students organized on Wednesday 8/2/2012 a protest in front of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the British capital, London, remonstrating the "restrictions enforced on public freedoms in the UAE," and denunciating the act by UAE authorities stripping seven Emirati citizens of their nationalities, on the background of their demands for reform .
The protestors called upon the UAE authorities "to repeal the decisions recently taken for restricting public freedoms and violating human rights as well as infringing the human dignity; that are absolutely embodied in the confiscation of most of the working non-profit organizations and changing their elected boards of directors and putting them all under the guardianship of the authorities". The protestors drew the attention to the fact that these decisions harmed a number of associations, including teachers and bar associations along with the Association of Reform and Social Guidance, Student Union, New Muslim Care Society, Social Guidance Association and Fishermen's Association added to some Qur’anic institutes and other student organizations.
The protestors distributed publications to the public in which they figured out that their protest in front of the embassy also for denunciating the UAE authorities’ decision to strip seven UAE citizens of their nationalities, arguing that "this exposes them and their families to the most inhuman punishments, i.e., stripping of identity."
They elaborated that stripping the seven citizens of their nationalities was accompanied by a freeze on all things related to their circles of interests, and periling the interests of their families and children under the same decree. Added to their passion due to this decision, they cannot work in the public and private sectors, all their salaries and real-estate properties frozen, and commercial licenses, identity cards, driving licenses, medical treatment cards and passports have been all withdrawn along with other papers. Worth mentioning, all these episodes of tragedy happened on the background of a petition filed by Emirati elite to the President of the UAE in the past year calling for a fully-fledged national assembly."
The student protesters affirmed they will continue in their protest in front of the UAE embassy in London, while the option of expanding these protests will be on board, "unless the UAE authorities decline their decisions, and rehabilitate all those affected by these draconian decisions," they said.
Vienna-based “Friends of Humanity International” has earlier considered the decision removing the UAE citizenship from six Emirati citizens, "of the UAE most public figures known for their reformative attitudes" an illegal step involving "a gross violation of international human rights covenants."
Whereas the Istanbul-based International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations (IIFSO) expressed its serious concern regarding the decision of the UAE authorities to withdraw citizenships from six public figures, appealing the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for rapid intervention to resolve that injustice done against those " prominent thinkers, reform advocates and leaders of opinion," adding that a "human injustice" such that would tarnish the reputation of the UAE.
