Bahrain Mirror: Human Rights Watch demanded the United Arab Emirates to immediately release leading human rights activist Ahmad Mansoor who was arrested in the early morning hours of March 20, 2017.

The organization said in a statement that the UAE authorities have not revealed where they are holding Mansoor or allowed him access to his family or a lawyer.

\"The charges against Ahmad Mansoor clearly violate his right to free expression, and if the UAE has any concern about its reputation it will release him immediately," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Arresting a prominent rights defender on these charges is yet another demonstration of the UAE's complete intolerance for peaceful dissent."

A source close to the situation told Human Rights Watch that at about 12 a.m. on March 20, a group of 10 uniformed police officers came to Mansoor's home in the city of Ajman and conducted an extensive search for electronic devices. At about 3 a.m., the officers took Mansoor away, along with all the family's mobile phones and laptops, even those belonging to Mansoor's children, the source said.

UAE authorities should immediately reveal Mansoor's whereabouts and allow him access to family members and a lawyer, Human Rights Watch said.

"The UAE is on an unrelenting campaign to stamp out any and every semblance of dissent," Stork said. "Just how many Emiratis does the government intend to jail for expressing peaceful political opinions?"

Arabic Version