DUBAI, July 29: At least 10 local Islamists have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates over the past several days as part of a widening crackdown on dissidents, activists said on Sunday.
The arrests brought to at least 20 the number of dissidents, most of them Islamists, detained since July 15 when the Gulf Arab state said it was investigating a foreign-linked group planning “crimes against the security of the state”.
Activists say around 40 have been arrested since March. Many of them are Emiratis but an Omani and stateless residents of the UAE were among those detained.
Interior Ministry officials were not available for comment.
The UAE, a federation of seven emirates and a major oil exporter, allows no organised political opposition. It has avoided the political unrest that has swept the Arab region thanks in part to its cradle-to-grave welfare system.
But it has moved swiftly against dissidents, stripping citizenship from Islamists whom it deemed a security threat and issuing jail sentences to activists who called for more power for a semi-elected advisory council.
Relatives and activists said most of those arrested have links to the local Al Islah (Reform) Islamist group, which has been the target of a crackdown in the UAE.
Hamad Roqait, 61, one of the founders of Islah and a well-known figure in the emirate of Sharjah, was arrested on Tuesday, a relative said.
“They came at night at the house and took him after searching the house and seizing his mobile phone,” the relative said. “We still don’t know his whereabouts.”
Others detained included Salem Al Shehhi, a lawyer, Abdul-Raheem Al Zarooni, who worked for a media organisation, Musbah Al Rumaithi, another Islah member, and Issa Al Suwaidi, a former education official, activists and relatives said.
Most of the men detained over the past months are from the more religiously conservative emirates such as Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, which are also less affluent than the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and trade hub Dubai.Many are well-known figures and include a ruling family member, under house arrest in Ras Al Khaimah emirate.—Reuters