The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has greatly invested in presenting itself as a progressive country, yet beneath this facade lies a troubling record of human rights violations. Authorities have repeatedly targeted individuals for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association, often exploiting the vague provisions of the 2014 Counterterrorism Law to conflate criticism with threats to state security. This has led to arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, enforced disappearances, and torture. The UAE has also leveraged its advanced surveillance technologies to monitor and suppress online discourse. This pattern of repression has now extended beyond the UAE’s borders, as exemplified by the extradition of Egyptian-Turkish poet and activist Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi from Lebanon to the UAE.
On 28 December 2024, al-Qaradawi was arrested by Lebanese forces while returning from Syria, where he had posted a video online criticizing the governments of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The video prompted Emirati and Egyptian authorities to individually request a provisional arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers’ Council, which ultimately led to his detention. This action was taken in addition to a 2017 in absentia sentence issued in Egypt, convicting al-Qaradawi on politically motivated charges of spreading false news and disrupting public security. On 2 January 2025, both the UAE and Egypt submitted an extradition request based on similar accusations. Despite warnings from the United Nations, the Lebanese government approved extradition to the UAE on 7 January.
Given the UAE’s record of human rights violations, Lebanon’s decision to extradite al-Qaradawi breaches the international principle of non-refoulement, which forbids the transfer of individuals to states where they risk inhumane treatment. Lebanon’s decision also occurred in the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty with the UAE and involved a defendant without Emirati citizenship or residency, suggesting the move was politically, rather than legally, motivated. Reports indicate that political pressure was involved, with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati receiving assurances from the UAE Foreign Minister, who promised to treat al-Qaradawi fairly and pledged reciprocity in similar cases.
The UAE’s assurances were instantly disregarded following al-Qaradawi extradition on 8 January, as he was subjected to enforced disappearance. His family has been unable to obtain any information about his location or legal status, and he has been denied both legal representation and consular access by Turkish authorities.
Concerns for al-Qaradawi’s safety are heightened by fears of prosecution under the UAE’s Counterterrorism Law and a fate similar to Emirati-Turkish citizen Khalaf Abdul Rahman al-Romaithi. Al-Romaithi was extradited from Jordan to the UAE in May 2023, forcibly disappeared, and later subjected to a mass trial targeting political dissidents. These trials lack transparency and due process, often denying legal assistance to defendants and exposing them to torture and other forms of ill-treatment during detention. The Counterterrorism Law’s authorization of indefinite imprisonment further entraps detainees within these troubling conditions.
On 9 March 2025, the Egyptian Parliament ratified a treaty facilitating the transfer of convicted prisoners between Egypt and the UAE. Given Egypt’s own poor human rights record, the possibility of re-extradition there places al-Qaradawi at further risk of prolonged arbitrary detention and mistreatment.
The extradition of al-Qaradawi underscores the UAE’s relentless crackdown on dissent, leveraging its regional influence to extend repression beyond its borders and citizens. By violating international human rights laws, these actions expose individuals to unfair and inhumane treatment. This case sets a dangerous precedent, threatening freedom of expression and undermining human rights across the region.