AVTUAE

The AVTUAE’s campaign in Geneva draws attention to mass violations amid the UAE’s efforts to whitewash its human rights record

In the past months, the Association for victims of torture in the UAE (AVTUAE) held several actions in Geneva to denounce the practice of torture and the large-scale human rights violations committed by the United Arab Emirates.

While more and more voices among human rights NGOs and international organisations are raising concerns over the UAE’s increasing human rights violations, the AVTUAE is also troubled by the support of European governments to the Gulf monarchy, despite its complete disregard for human rights.

Instead of addressing its human rights situation, the UAE has devoted its efforts in whitewashing its image through the “Year of Tolerance” campaign and other advertising initiatives. It is all the more alarming that these promotional campaigns are carried out with the active cooperation of democratic States and prominent public figures which remain silent to the UAE’s mass human rights violations, and even provide active support to the Emirati effort to whitewash its image.

After the widely publicised visit of Pope Francis in February, the British embassy in Abu Dhabi launched, on September 12, the ‘UAE Young Journalist Award’ in the UAE to “highlight the growing talent among pupils in the UAE in media and journalism.” The contestants are asked to explain how the Year of Tolerance reflects “the already established values of diversity within the UAE?” and what the world can “learn from the UAE’s model for tolerance?” The embassy further asked the candidates to “follow the laws of the UAE”, including the cybercrime law used to silence dissent, and, on the basis of which peaceful activists have been jailed.

The AVTUAE held these actions to remind the public opinion of the appalling human rights record behind the façade of tolerance of the UAE. The campaign team handed out flyers to passers-by and drew attention to the situation of torture victims, highlighting the complete absence of justice and accountability. They further pointed out the need to urge the Swiss authorities and other European states to break the silence and put pressure on the Emirati government to address the situation of human rights in the country.

For additional information, please contact us at info@avtuae.org.

Add comment