(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The international rights organization said in a statement on Saturday that it is concerned that the detention of Mansour is “politically motivated.”
"We believe the detention of Ahmed Mansoor is aimed at scaring and intimidating others in the UAE who may wish to make public their demands for democratic reforms," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
The international rights organization stressed that the Emirati government should also announce the reason for the detention of Mansour and the charges against him.
Mansour, who had called for political reforms in the UAE, was detained on Thursday at his Dubai home.
His wife and colleague say government forces raided his apartment, seized two laptops, and took him away without offering explanations or producing an arrest warrant.
Prior to his arrest, Mansour said that he had received several death threats for signing a petition that demanded constitutional and parliamentary reforms in the UAE.
The Emirates is an alliance of seven sheikdoms where political activity is severely restricted.
The latest arrest comes amidst popular uprisings against long-time dictators in the Arab world.
Arab rulers in the Persian Gulf state view the Islamic revolutions that began in Tunisia and Egypt as a threat against their survival and colossal wealth.
In an effort to stop the revolts from spreading to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, the UAE has joined Saudi Arabia by deploying hundreds of troops to neighboring Bahrain, which has been the scene for violent anti-government protest rallies.
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