UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has met the son of Dr Mahmoud al-Jaidah in Qatar

Ms Knaul is currently visiting the UAE to assess the independence of judges, lawyers and prosecutors, as well as the functioning of the justice system. Her visit coincides with the next session of Dr al-Jaidah’s trial which will take place on Monday 3 February 2014 before the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi.

Prior to her visit to the UAE, Ms Knaul met with Dr al-Jaidah’s son Abdulrahman in Qatar and discussed the case with him. Abdulrahman was himself detained and tortured by the UAE authorities in December 2013 due to his public campaign with CAGE for his father’s release.
CAGE has written to Ms Knaul requesting that she raise the matter of Dr al-Jaidah’s case with the UAE authorities, particularly in relation to his inability to meet with his lawyer, the fact that three different lawyers have dropped his case very shortly after being instructed, and his ongoing torture and mistreatment. The letter can be read here.
Ms Knaul’s visit comes at a time when almost 150 medical doctors from around the world have signed a petition for Dr al-Jaidah’s release or fair trial. The petition, initiated by Dr David Nicholl, a consultant neurologist in Birmingham, can be viewed here.
Asim Qureshi, Research Director of CAGE, said: ‘The meeting between Ms Knaul and AbulRahman al-Jadiah is a positive development in the al-Jaidah case. That a senior UN offical should be so closely following this case is a reminder of how fraught with injustice this entire episode is.’

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NOTES:

1.  CAGE (formerly known as CagePrisoners) is an independent advocacy group that works to empower communities affected by the War on Terror and to highlight abuses of prisoners’ rights.

 

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