Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has strongly condemned the death of Emirati businessman and prisoner of conscience Ali Abdullah Fath Ali Al-Khaja, who died at the age of 58 in Abu Dhabi’s Al-Razeen prison after more than thirteen years of severe mistreatment.

 The organization expressed profound sorrow and outrage, describing his death as the result of a deliberate policy of medical neglect and abusive detention practices.

Al-Khaja was arrested on 28 August 2012 in the case known as “UAE 94.” According to information obtained by WJWC, he was subjected to a series of grave violations from the outset, including enforced disappearance, prolonged solitary confinement, denial of legal representation, and degrading treatment—all in violation of fundamental protections under international human rights law.

Despite completing his original ten-year sentence on 28 August 2022, Al-Khaja was not released. Instead, Emirati authorities kept him in arbitrary detention inside so-called “counseling centers,” a mechanism widely criticized by rights groups for enabling the indefinite imprisonment of political detainees without legal justification. He was later retried in the politically motivated “UAE 84” case and handed an additional ten-year sentence in July 2024. UN experts had already expressed grave concern in January 2024 over the UAE’s continued use of these practices.

In the weeks leading up to his death, Al-Khaja continued to face punitive treatment. He was reportedly denied permission to see his father shortly before his passing—an act WJWC described as cruel, vindictive, and a clear violation of international standards, including the Nelson Mandela Rules on the treatment of prisoners.

WJWC stressed that the circumstances of Al-Khaja’s death amount to a gross violation of the Convention against Torture, noting that his long-term mistreatment and the repeated manipulation of legal proceedings point to a systematic pattern of abuse targeting prisoners of conscience. The organization holds the Emirati authorities fully responsible for his death and warned that such practices undermine the rule of law in the UAE.

Women Journalists Without Chains is calling for urgent action, including:

·       An independent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding Al-Khaja’s death, led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant UN mechanisms.

·       The immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, especially those held in connection with the UAE 94 and UAE 84 cases.

·       The closure of “counseling centers,” which function as tools to extend arbitrary detention outside any legal framework.

·       Full reparations for Al-Khaja’s family, including material and moral compensation for the years of injustice they endured.

WJWC extended its deepest condolences to the family of Ali Al-Khaja and reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice and accountability for all victims of repression in the UAE.

Issued by:

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC)

November 22, 2025