A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced 57 Bangladeshis to long prison terms for participating in protests against their own country’s government.
Three of the defendants received life sentences for “inciting riots in several streets across the UAE,” while 53 others were sentenced to 10 years in prison and one to 11 years, according to the state-run Wam news agency.
During the trial, which took place on Sunday, the court-appointed defense lawyer argued that the gatherings had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient.
Amnesty International condemned the UAE’s “extreme reaction to the mere existence of a public protest” on its soil. Protests are effectively illegal in the UAE, where foreigners make up nearly 90% of the population, with Bangladeshis being the third largest expatriate group.
In Bangladesh, recent student-led demonstrations against government job quotas have resulted in more than 150 deaths and 500 arrests. Protest leaders have given the government a 48-hour ultimatum to lift a nationwide curfew and restore internet services, demanding the resignation of officials responsible for violence against demonstrators. This unrest represents one of the most serious challenges Sheikh Hasina has faced during her 15-year tenure as Prime Minister.
The UAE trial revealed that the 57 Bangladeshis had “organized large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government.” These actions led to riots, disruptions in public security, and endangerment of property, with the police’s warnings to disperse being ignored.
The court rejected the defendants’ defense and ordered their deportation after serving their sentences.
Bangladesh’s government has not yet commented, but its consulate in Dubai has urged citizens to respect local laws. Amnesty International’s UAE researcher, Devin Kenney, noted that this is the second mass trial in the UAE this month resulting in “huge prison terms literally overnight, on charges involving no element of violence.” Kenney criticized the UAE’s “extreme reaction” as indicative of its priority to suppress dissent.
On July 10, the UAE court also sentenced 43 human rights defenders and political dissidents to life imprisonment for “creating a terrorist organization,” a verdict human rights groups have criticized as a “mockery of justice.”
