On the 19th of November 2025, a political prisoner by the name Ali Abdullah Fath Ali al-Khaja died in the al-Razeen prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ali al-Khaja died at 58 years of age, after having spent more than a decade arbitrarily detained. During his time in prison, he endured torture, denial of medical care, prolonged solitary confinement, enforced disappearance, and detention beyond the completion of his original sentence. His case highlights the exploitative nature of the justice system in the UAE. Firstly due to the grounds upon which he was detained and tried, and secondly because of the conditions of detention, amounting to gross violations of human rights.
Al-Khaja died in his cell at Al-Razeen Prison in Abu Dhabi, shortly after the death of his father on the 8th of November 2025. He was among the UAE94 who were tried on fabricated charges, lacking the bare minimum standards of due process and procedural rights, following his arbitrary arrest on 28 August 2012. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison following his trial. However, after completing his 10 year sentence on 28 August 2022, he was transferred to the counseling section of the Al-Razeen Prison by authorities, on the basis that he was a terrorist threat. Al-Khaja was also part of the UAE84, a trial that took place in December 2023 before the State Security Chamber of the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal. This trial was also built on the foundation of fabricated terrorist charges. Al-Khaja was sentenced to a further 10 years in prison.
In August of 2022, the Committee Against Torture (CAT) made several recommendations to the UAE regarding the legal rights afforded to those in detention. CAT specifically pointed to the UAE’s anti-terrorism legislation, recommending that these laws are in line with international human rights standards and not be exploited. The importance of ensuring all legal safeguards outlined in paragraph 13 of General Comment No. 2 (2007) was emphasised, as well as the importance of investigating and sanctioning officials involved in acts of torture.
CAT further recommended that detention in centers of “rehabilitation” be outlined with strict criteria, with an explicit duration and the possibility for detainees to challenge the legality of their detention at any moment throughout. It further urged the State to make greater efforts to align detention conditions with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), investigate all forms of ill-treatment or cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment, and prosecute those responsible for such violations. Lastly, they recommended cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, such as allowing visits carried out by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The death of Ali Abdullah Fath Ali al-Khaja is a reminder of the flawed application of the UAE’s legal system. From fabricating grounds for carrying out an arrest, denying detainees access to their fundamental rights during procedure, to ultimately creating the conditions for the deaths of detainees, the UAE is responsible for the death of a prisoner. ADHRB strongly condemns what has taken place, and urges the UAE to act in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee Against Torture.
