rights advocates and political opponents. State practices have even extended to the deprivation of nationality of family members of individuals who have been jailed as political dissidents.35 Thus, the existing domestic legal framework regarding citizenship and its revocation in the UAE has significant flaws which are being exploited by the government to suppress dissent. 3.1 Citizenship revocation In the UAE, the practice of revoking the citizenship of political dissidents, and other critical voices has started in 2011 and has persisted ever since. The families of these individuals often endure similar reprisal measures later on, facing deprivation of nationality as well. The first documented case of nationality stripping on political grounds was that of Ahmed Ghaith al-Suwaidi, an economist who served as the director of the strategic planning office within the Abu Dhabi Government’s Department of Finance.36 His citizenship was revoked in the summer of 2011.37 This first revocation of citizenship came only a few months after a group of 133 Emirati academic, judges, lawyers, students, and human rights defenders signed a petition addressed to the President of the UAE and the country’s Federal Supreme Council calling for democratic reforms, in March 2011.38 Among the signatories, many were members of the Reform and Social Guidance Association (al-Islah) which advocated for greater adherence to Islamic precepts. The group has engaged in peaceful political debate for many decades in the UAE,39 and have called on the ruling families of the UAE to take steps towards democratizing the country.40 3.1.1 The UAE7 Al-Suwaidi was the first “al-Islah” member whose citizenship was revoked for political reasons. Following his case, six additional members of the group had their citizenship revoked in late 2011.41 This punitive action was taken due to their political engagement Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, Arbitrary deprivation of nationality in the Gulf region, 2017, https://www.worldsstateless.org/continents/middle-east-northern-africa/arbitrary-deprivation-ofnationality-in-the-gulf-region (accessed on 1 May 2024). 36 Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center (EDAC), Ahmed al-Suwaidi, https://en.edacrights.com/prisoner/29 (accessed on 1 May 2024). 37 Amnesty International, “There is no Freedom Here” Silencing Dissent in the United Arab Emirates, 2014, p.24, https://www.amnesty.be/IMG/pdf/emirats_arabes_unis_-_18_11_2014.pdf (accessed on 2 May 2024). 38 Ibid, p.6. 39 Human Rights Watch, United Arab Emirates: End Arrests; Free Political Activists: Stop Crackdown on Freedom of Expression, Association, 30 April 2012, https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/04/30/unitedarab-emirates-end-arrests-free-political-activists (accessed on 2 May 2024). 40 FIDH, United Arab Emirates: criminalising dissent UAE 94 trial deeply flawed, August 2013, p.5, https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/report_uae94_uk.pdf (accessed on 2 May 2024). 41 Amnesty International, “There is no Freedom Here” Silencing Dissent in the United Arab Emirates, 2014, p.27, https://www.amnesty.be/IMG/pdf/emirats_arabes_unis_-_18_11_2014.pdf (accessed on 2 35 12 Citizenship stripping in the UAE