On the day of his arrest, Waleed Al-Shehhi was immediately taken to an unknown location, believed to be the state security detention centre in Abu Dhabi, where torture and ill-treatment are a common practice.

After 10 days, Waleed Al-Shehhi was transferred to Al-Wathba central prison in Abu Dhabi. He is being now accused of instigation and incitement of the public against the state security on Twitter and charged under articles 28 and 29 of the new Cybercrime law No. 5/2012. This legislation was the subject of numerous recommendations for amendment or abolishment during the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Arab Emirates in January this year.

Articles 28 and 29 imply that their respective alleged crimes have a state security nature, which means that Mr Al Shehhi, if convicted, could face up to 15 years of imprisonment and his verdict could not be appealed, contrary to international law.

The vague and unclear wording of these articles leaves them open to numerous interpretations and therefore allow a great scope for convictions and charges. In fact, the potential crimes based on these two articles are indefinite and uncountable. This, in turn, may lead to many infringements of international obligations and standards.

Documenting the 'public' hearings does not in any form, "endanger the national security and the higher interests of the State or afflicts its public order" or "make sarcasm [sic] or damage the reputation, prestige or stature of the State or any of its institutions or its president, vice -president, any of the rulers of the Emirates, their crown prince, or the deputy rulers of the Emirates, the State flag, the national peace, its logo, national anthem or any of its symbols" as stated in articles 28 and 29 of the national Cybercrime law No. 5/2012.

In fact, Mr Al Shehhi's arrest is yet another example of a generalised crackdown targeting people exercising the rights guaranteed to them by the Emirati constitution and legislation, including freedom of expression. It also constitutes a violation of the United Arab Emirates' obligations under international law. The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by Article 19 of the UDHR, which states that "everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."