A Blogger is on the Verge of Deportation to the Comoros!

Cairo, May 30 2012

 ANHRI strongly denounced UAE authorities’ determination to deport the blogger and human rights activist Ahmed Abdul Khaliq, a stateless citizen, to the Comoros after being held for several days. This incident demonstrate not only that UAE is proceeding with a repression and suppression of votes policy but also is devising new methods to maltreat opponents and activist as detention and imprisonment is no longer enough.

Immigration Authorities arrested the blogger and activist Abdul Khaliq on the 22^nd of May, in the Emirate of Ajman. His family were informed the reason of his detention was due to procedural matters, but later he was taken to an unknown place without updating any of his family members about the reasons or the place of his detention. Later, it was revealed that Abdul Khaliq was forced to accept the nationality of the Comoros as a first step for deportation.

According to press and human rights reports, UAE paid 200 million dollar in 2009 to the State of the Comoros in order to naturalize its stateless citizens whose number ranges from 10 000 to 100 000. The citizens of this community are exposed to persecution, maltreatment and denial of citizenship rights. They are a chronic problem in UAE and a number of Gulf states where the ruling regimes pour anger on those groups instead of giving them citizenship, complete rights and to legalize their situation.

 Abdul khaliq was one of five activists who were detained previously for several months in April 2011 and were sentenced to imprisonment for two years for insulting the rulers of UAE. They were released later after an amnesty from the head of the state. Abdul Khaliq has a good reputation for defending the stateless citizens rights and human rights in general in UAE, especially the right of expression and political participation.

 ” Arresting Abdul Khaliq again indicates that UAE government will continue to ignore the problems of the stateless and the continued abuse of them rather than reaching a formula to solve their problems. We condemn by all means the pressure put on Abdul Khaliq and others of the stateless to acquire the nationality of another State that they never have seen in their lives, those who knew only UAE as their homeland,” Said ANHRI.

 ANHRI warns UAE government from the consequences of the constant violations against human rights and international conventions which UAE is part of them and which oblige the governments to respect the freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of political participation and the inadmissibility of forcible deportation and deprivation of citizenship outside the law.

 ANHRI calls UAE rulers to immediately refrain from their plans for naturalization and deportation of the stateless people who are part and parcel of the UAE citizens.