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Amnesty reports activists' 'ugly reality' in UAE
Published Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is hosting a Formula One race this weekend, of repression it said is the "ugly reality" behind the glitz and glamor of the event.
In a report titled "There is no freedom here: silencing dissent in the UAE," the human rights watchdog speaks of a "climate of fear" and the "extreme lengths" the authorities go to in order to stamp out opposition or calls for reform.
"Millions of spectators from across the world are expected to tune in to watch the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix this weekend – yet most of them will have little clue about the ugly reality of life for activists in the UAE," said Amnesty's deputy director for the region, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.
"Beneath the facade of glitz and glamor, a far more sinister side to the UAE has emerged showing the UAE as a deeply repressive state where activists critical of the government can be tossed in jail merely for posting a tweet," she said.
in full: http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/amnesty-reports-activists-ugly-reality-uae
