Student Released and in Good Health in United Arab Emirates (UA 142/09)

Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi, a 38-year-old United Arab Emirates national and a student of Shari’a (Islamic) law in Saudi Arabia, was released this morning and is staying with his relatives in the UAE. He is said to be in good health. Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi was arrested on April 26, 2007 when he went to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh to catch a plane to Bahrain where his wife and other relatives live. He was arrested at passport control in the airport and taken to ‘Ulaysha Prison in Saudi Arabia where he was held incommunicado for four months. His family was eventually able to visit him on several occasions, but they were not given the reason for his detention. On November 24, 2008, Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi was deported from Saudi Arabia to the UAE where he was immediately detained and held by members of Amn al-Dawla (State Security), the main security agency. He was held in incommunicado detention, but he was allowed to make a number of very brief phone calls to his wife. Despite repeated queries by his relatives, the UAE authorities refused to allow them to visit or to inform them of the reasons for his arrest and detention.