GENEVA – GCHRJ condemned the involvement of Arab countries in arresting and handing over refugees to their countries without considering the risk of ill-treatment and unfair trial. It considered it as a violation of the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition imposed by customary international law on the return of a person to a real risk of persecution where his or her life or freedom was threatened by race, religion, nationality, or a membership in a particular social group Political opinion.
A few days ago, the Sudanese authorities announced that they had received one of its most prominent critics, who had been forcibly hidden in Egypt last October.
It is the Sudanese opponent Mohammed al-Bushi, 35, who disappeared in Cairo on October 10 after the arrival of five gunmen believed to be Egyptian security agents to the building where he is staying and searching his apartment.
The Sudanese security authorities refused to provide any information about Al-Boshi’s detention, but announced the charges against him on November 8, including the charge of espionage and provocation against the country, which may reach the death penalty.
Al-Bouchi, a former member of the opposition Baath Party, was detained in the past because of his political positions.
In May, the United Arab Emirates was involved in arresting and arbitrary handover of Saudi activist Lujain Al-Hathul to the Saudi authorities, where she has been detained ever since.
UAE was also involved in the transfer of former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to his country after he had planned to join the presidential elections in 2018.
Emirati officials took Shafiq a few days after he announced his desire to nominate himself for presidential elections and forcibly deported him to his country.
After his return, Shafiq announced he was withdrawing his candidacy in what is believed to be under house arrest and prevented from practicing any political activities.
In May 2018, Kuwait was involved in the arrest of Nawaf Talal Al-Rasheed, and then deported him to Saudi Arabia where he has been arbitrarily detained without a fair trial.
GCHRJ stressed that the arrest and deportation of dissidents violates international laws and standards of enforced disappearance, prosecution and torture.
The council called on the Arab states to refrain from violating the fundamental rights of refugees on their territory by sending them to their countries and considered it as a threatening message to human rights activists in the Arab countries that they cannot feel safe.
