[JURIST] Officials in UAE should investigate and prosecute [HRW report] credible accusations of torture reported by detainees, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] said Wednesday. According to HRW, three former detainees and the relative of a current detainee detailed instances of beatings, forced standings, and being shackled and blindfolded. The inmates were also allegedly threatened with rape, electrocution and death. The detainees were members of a group of 10 Libyan businessmen arrested in 2014, possibly under suspected links to the Muslim Brotherhood which is considered a terrorist organization in the UAE. Six of the businessmen are still incarcerated. HRW also stated that none of the detainees have been permitted to seek out legal assistance.

In recent years, UAE has taken controversial actions in an attempt to battle terrorism. A lawyer in the UAE announced in August that the country had indicted [JURIST report] 41 people for attempting to organize a terrorist organization. In July the UAE passed a religious tolerance law [JURIST report] designed to specifically outlaw radical groups from enforcing their version of Islam on others. In June the country sent a message to extremists by sentencing [NBC report] Ala’a Badr Abdullah al-Hashemi to death for her militant-style killing of American teacher Iboyla Ryan. UAE carried out al-Hashemi’s execution last week. In March, the Arab League including UAE formed a joint military group [JURIST op-ed] to oppose forces that threaten its members including IS.