21. Contrary to these regulations, the UAE’s authorities have been arbitrarily depriving Emirati citizens of their nationality with increasing frequency. This practice is regulated through a decree issued by the president who was requested to issue this by the Minister of Interior. 22. Procedures stipulate that after being signed by the President, the decree should be published in the Official Gazette, as stated in Article 114 of the UAE Constitution.20 Despite this, the authorities have not published the Decree in the Gazette, and have so far prevented those who have been arbitrarily deprived of their nationality from seeing the Decree. Therefore, it is unclear what legal grounds form the basis for the deprivation of their nationality.21 23. The practice of citizenship revocation started with the famous trial of the accused in the “UAE 94”22 case, a trial which UN Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined was unfair and arbitrary due to lack of due process.23 Seven of those on trial, all political opponents of the government, were stripped of their nationality. Since then, at least 60 people have been arbitrarily stripped of their nationality.24 While the state claims that these measures are to combat terrorism, it is evident that the deprivation of nationality is politically motivated. 24. The UAE has yet to demonstrate that its practice of arbitrary deprivation of nationality is not incompatible with its own constitution as well as its international obligations. In addition to being arbitrary, this practice is also indiscriminate, with some reports of entire families having had their nationality stripped off them, in retaliation to the political views of the husband/father. For example, Mr. Obaid Ali Al Kaabia, was arrested and forcibly disappeared by the State Security Apparatus in 2014. When he was released his citizenship was arbitrarily revoked, along with that his wife and children, on grounds of them being a ‘threat to national security’.25 25. Others stripped of nationality include: Sheikh Mohammed Abdul-Razzaq Siddiq, Dr. Hussein Al Hammadi, Dr. Shaheen Abdullah Al Hosni, Mr. Hussein Munif al-Jabri, Mr. Hassan Munif alJabri, Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Al Marzouki, Prof. Ahmed Ghaith Al Suwaid, all opposition activists. Human rights consequences 26. Being denied the right to acquire a nationality at birth due to discrimination, or being arbitrarily deprived of nationality are both egregious violations of human rights law, including the right to a nationality, non-discrimination, equality before the law and due process. Additionally, lack of nationality can lead to other significant violations of human rights. Being 20 Article 114 United Arab Emirates: Constitution, 2 December 1971, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/48eca8132.html 21 International Centre for Justice and Human Rights, http://ic4jhr.org/en/activites/reports/619-uae-revocation-ofnationalities-in-the-united-arab-emirates-2.html 22 The Guardian, The UAEs bizarre political trail of 94 activists, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/06/uae-trial-94-activists 23 HRW, The UAEs intolerance of criticism continued in 2016. 24 International Centre for Justice and Human Rights, http://ic4jhr.org/en/activites/reports/619-uae-revocation-ofnationalities-in-the-united-arab-emirates-2.html 25 ICFAUE, Revocation of nationalities in the United Arab Emirates, 2017, http://icfuae.org.uk/research-andpublications/revocation-nationalities-united-arab-emirates