UAE anti-terror laws 'cover' for crackdown on peaceful dissent, report shows

The United Arab Emirates' 2014 anti-terror law is being utilized as a tool for political control to suppress peaceful dissent, according to a new report by Women Journalists Without Chains. The report argues that the law's vague legal provisions, such as "offending the state," allow for dangerous prosecutorial overreach and have created a chilling effect on civil society. This has resulted in the detention of journalists, lawyers, and academics. The law has been used to extend the sentences of activists from the 'UAE 94' trial, who were prosecuted following the Arab Spring, raising concerns about the retroactive application of criminal law.