Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in a report published on Wednesday that the conviction and the imprisonment of Bangladeshi protesters by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal was “unjust” and called for the immediate release of all those sentenced.

In its report, HRW denounced the “arbitrary” detention and conviction of 57 Bangladeshi citizens who participated in the July 19 protests in support of the students’ protests in their home country. The NGO also criticized the length of the imprisonment sentences and expressed concerns about the judicial proceedings under which the convicted citizens were tried.

The NGO’s report highlighted that the protests in which the Bangladesh-originated citizens participated were completely peaceful and didn’t include any violent acts or language. Furthermore, it pointed out the rapidity of the conviction process and said that “the speed with which dozens of defendants were investigated, tried, and convicted raises serious concerns about the fairness of the judicial proceedings”. It specified that Emarati authorities conducted the investigation, held the trial, and announced the sentences in two days. According to HRW, this brief period is insufficient to gather evidence, hold the trial, and render a sentence against 57 defendants.

The criticized conviction refers to the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal’s verdict rendered on July 21, in which the court sentenced 57 citizens from Bangladesh to prison. They were accused of unlawful assembly and inciting riots after participating in protests, which is prohibited by UAE’s penal code. Among the convicted people, 53 were sentenced to 10 years, one to 11 years, and three to life imprisonment.

The protests occurred in various cities across the UAE, including Abu Dhabi, Ajman, and Dubai where Bangladeshi citizens residing in the UAE marched through the streets raising slogans in support of the protests in Bangladesh. The latter witnessed nationwide protests for over a month against the high court’s decision to reintroduce a 30 percent quota in government positions for the 1971 Liberation War veterans and their descendants.

The mentioned decision ignited mass protests from students who deemed the reinstatement of the job quota discriminatory and called for its reform. However, the tension escalated between protesters and authorities which has led to violent clashes resulting in deaths and several injuries. The government of Bangladesh imposed a curfew and suspended the internet, in an attempt to restore security and order in the country.

The EU and international organizations criticized the government of Bangladesh’s handling of the protests and called for the restoration of dialogue between the government and the opposition. The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on the government on Thursday to undertake all the necessary measures to reinstall an “environment conducive to dialogue” and restore the public trust in the government. Among the recommended measures, he stated that the government should provide the details of all the victims of police violence and ensure that the security forces’ response to protests abide by international human rights norms, particularly when it comes to the use of force. He also urged the government to conduct an “impartial, independent and transparent investigation” into the alleged human rights violations, emphasizing that his Office is willing to offer his support.

Additionally, Volker Turk urged the government to avoid the recurrence of similar events and hoped that the High Court’s recent decision to reduce the government’s recruitment quota from 30 percent to 5 percent may contribute to easing the situation in the country. He lastly called on political activists in Bangladesh to refrain from making statements or acts that might incite the public to violence and lead to an increase in the government’s crackdown.