Good News! Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud, a Sudanese political activist and transitional justice advocate, was released on August 22, 2026 after being unlawfully detained in the UAE for 1 year and 7 months. He was unlawfully arrested on January 19, 2025 at Dubai Airport, with the UAE authorities claiming he was under investigation for insulting the UAE head of state. Throughout his detention, he was neither formally charged nor presented before a court. His arrest and detention were not only violations of his rights to freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and fair trial, but also raised serious risks to his life and safety.
NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.
Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud is a Sudanese political activist and transitional justice advocate who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since January 19, 2025. He moved to the UAE in early 2023. On January 19, 2025, while at Dubai Airport preparing to board a flight out of the UAE, he was arrested by Emirati security officials and taken to his house where they searched his belongings and confiscated his devices before detaining him at an undisclosed location. At the time of his detention, he was recovering from a major surgical procedure, raising significant concerns regarding his health and well-being. In April 2025, the UAE authorities claimed he was being investigated for insulting the head of the UAE state. He is currently detained at the Al Sadr Prison in Abu Dhabi.
Dear HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
I am concerned about Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud, a Sudanese political activist and transitional justice advocate, who has been held in arbitrary detention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since January 19, 2025.
On January 19, 2025, he was arrested by Emirati security officials and taken to his house where they searched his belongings and confiscated his devices. Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud was then detained in an undisclosed location for several weeks. He is currently detained at the Al Sadr Prison in Abu Dhabi. At the time of his arrest, Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud was recovering from a major surgical operation, which raises concerns about his health and wellbeing in detention.
In April 2025, the UAE General Prosecution’s official website stated that Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud is being investigated by the UAE Federal Specialized Prosecution for insulting the head of state. However, more than one year on, he has yet to be formally charged or taken to court.
I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammed Farouk Salman Mahmoud and ensure, pending his release, that he has regular and unmonitored access to his family, lawyers, and adequate health care. I urge you, pending his release, to ensure that he is protected from torture or other ill-treatment and held in conditions that meet international human rights standards.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
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