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An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

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Economist Held Incommunicado for Criticizing Egypt and the United Arab Emirates

October 31, 2016

Nasser bin Ghaith, an Economist in the United Arab Emirates, was arrested for committing hostile acts against a foreign state (Egypt) and for instigating against the UAE. These acts were criticizing these governments online. He was also charged with associating with a banned political party in the UAE (as an academic he gave a speech as requested by a member of that political party).

CCS has requested that Dr. bin Ghaith be released and the charges dismissed.

October 30, 2016

HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum
Vice-President and Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
P.O. Box: 212000
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 4 330 4044
Email: info@primeminister.ae

Your Highness,

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world. We write today to, again, emphasize our continuing concern for Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith, a U.S.-educated economist who faces a hearing on November 7, and remains held incommunicado.

We wrote you on June 6 about Dr. bin Ghaith, who appears to be facing trial for exercising his basic right to free expression. Though officially charged with “committing a hostile act against a foreign state” and “instigating against the UAE,” the acts for which he is being prosecuted appear to be simply posting online criticisms of UAE officials and the Egyptian government. These are peaceful exercises of free speech and not crimes. The charges against Dr. bin Ghaith violate widely accepted fundamental human rights – norms protecting free expression.

Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith has also been charged with a crime for associating with the banned Ummah Party, apparently because, as a professor of economics, he gave a presentation on the Islamic Economy at the invitation of a member of that party. This charge infringes on Dr. bin Ghaith’s academic freedom and his basic right to freedom of association.

Dr. bin Ghaith has been held incommunicado from August 2015 through April 2016, and still is detained in an unknown location. He claims that he has been tortured. As long as he is held incommunicado, we believe he remains at high risk of torture.
Your Highness, we urge you to release Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith immediately and unconditionally, as he has not been charged with a legitimate criminal offense, but only for acts of free expression and association in which he has every right to engage. Allegations that he may have been tortured also need to be thoroughly investigated, and it is imperative that his whereabouts be publicly known, he be given regular access to family, legal counsel, and medical care.

Thank you for your consideration of this urgent matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Copies to:

Minister of Interior
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Zayed Sport City, Arab Gulf Street, Near to Shaikh Zayed Mosque
POB: 398
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 2 402 2762/+971 2 441 5780
Email: moi@moi.gov.ae

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Crown Prince Court
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street
P.O. Box: 124
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Fax: +971 2 668 6622

Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
3522 International Court NW
Suite #400
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 243 2432
Email: info@uaeembassy-usa.org

Related articles
  • Academic faces up to 15 years in jail for tweets (universityworldnews.com)
  • United Arab Emirates: Release Dr Nasser bin Ghaith Immediately (amnestyusa.org)

Filed Under: United Arab Emirates Tagged With: Academics, Nasser bin Ghaith, United Arab Emirates

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

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