Brussels, 30 March 2025
The International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD) unequivocally condemns the use of the death penalty by the United Arab Emirates, including the recent sentencing of three individuals to death in connection with the killing of an Israeli soldier.
While IFRD firmly upholds the principle of accountability and the right of victims and their families to justice, we assert that capital punishment is a cruel, inhuman, and irreversible form of punishment that violates the fundamental right to life. The imposition of the death penalty, particularly in politically charged or high-profile cases, raises serious concerns about due process, transparency, and the risk of irreversible miscarriages of justice.
We are further alarmed by the geopolitical context of this case, which may compromise the fairness of the judicial process. Justice must never be instrumentalized to serve political ends. The death penalty, in all circumstances, contradicts international human rights standards and the global movement toward its abolition.
We call on the authorities in the United Arab Emirates to commute all death sentences and to institute an immediate moratorium on capital punishment, in line with the UN General Assembly resolutions and growing international consensus.
IFRD stands in solidarity with all those facing capital punishment and reiterates its commitment to advocating for the universal abolition of the death penalty, in the UAE and across the globe.
