Human Rights Watch has urged the UAE to stop its crackdown on civil society after the government dissolved the elected board of directors of the Teachers' Association.
“This attack on civil society is further proof that those in power in the UAE see anyone calling for reform as fair game," Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“UAE authorities should immediately stop their hostile takeover of civil society and free the peaceful democracy activists," he added.
The Teachers' Association, which was replaced with state appointees, was the second prominent civil society organization to face a hostile government takeover in less than two weeks.
On April 21, the board of the Jurist Association was dissolved.
The two associations, along with two other non-governmental organizations, jointly signed a public appeal calling for greater democracy in the country.
Since April 8, the United Arab Emirates has also detained at least five prominent democracy activists.
The UAE government has also targeted individuals, including leading human rights activist Ahmed Mansour, as part of its crackdown on peaceful dissents in recent weeks.
Authorities say they are continuing their criminal investigation of five detained activists for "opposing the government" and "insulting" top officials.
On April 25, Attorney General Salim Saeed Kubaish said that the five detainees were in "preventative custody" for "instigation, breaking laws and perpetrating acts that pose a threat to state security, undermining the public order, opposing the government system, and insulting the President, the Vice President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.”
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