The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) reviewed the press release published by the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council on 28th March 2017 regarding the allegations of arbitrary detention of Mr. Ahmed Mansour and his unknown location, and the unspecified charges against him.
The MOFAIC wishes to clarify the following:- On Monday, 20th March 2017, the Public Prosecution for Cybercrimes ordered the arrest of Mr. Ahmed Mansour on the background of the charges of promoting false and shaded information through the Internet and serving agendas aimed at spreading hatred and sectarianism. He has been confronted with the charges against him and held in custody at the Central Prison in Abu Dhabi. He has the freedom to hire a lawyer and that his family has full accesses to the place of confinement and is allowed to visit him, in accordance with the procedures followed in the penal institution.
The allegations contained in the press release about Ahmed Mansour's arbitrary detention, the lack of knowledge of his place of detention and the allegations of not specifying the nature of the charges against him are totally incorrect.
The MOFAIC calls on the Special Procedures Group and in accordance with its code of conduct to be precise and objective, to investigate the accuracy of the information noted in their press release, and to verify the authenticity of the information from their official and reliable sources and to refrain from publishing the statements and politicized reports of some NGOs.
