UAE grants pardon to Egyptian poetal-Qaradawi, who faced 10 years
The United Arab Emirates pardoned the Egyptian poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, detained by an order of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, who was facing up to ten years in prison.
The government of the United Arab Emirates announced on Monday the granting of a pardon to the Egyptian poet and activist Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, who had been detained under an arrest warrant issued by the Council of Interior Ministers of the Arab countries.
Al-Qaradawi, known for his criticism of the Egyptian regime and its defense of human rights, faced a possible 10-year prison sentence on charges of incitement and threatening state security, according to judicial sources in the region.
The pardon, granted by the emir of the Emirates, has been received with surprise by both human rights defenders and Egyptian authorities, who described the measure as a gesture of "humanity" but reiterated their intention to continue persecuting opponents of the regime.