The human rights organization Amnesty International today warned of the possibility of the United Arab Emirates using digital surveillance during the climate conference (COP28) to silence freedom of expression.
“It is no secret that targeted digital surveillance has long been a weapon in the United Arab Emirates, serving to suppress dissent and silence freedom of expression,” said the campaign coordinator for the UAE Risk Monitoring Team. Amnesty International, Rebecca White, in a statement published today.
Last March, Amnesty International’s Security Laboratory exposed a ‘spyware’ attack campaign (a type of program that infiltrates computer systems and smartphones to collect personal or confidential information) that was operating in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and that hacked mobile devices that use Google’s Android system.
Indeed, concerns have been raised throughout the year by various civil society groups, who fear participating in COP28 due to the likelihood of being subject to surveillance on their computer or cell phone.
The official admitted that Amnesty International fears that human rights defenders and other members of civil society in the United Arab Emirates or even conference participants could be targets of “spyware.”
“As host of COP28, the United Arab Emirates is committed to providing a platform for activists’ voices, but this will not be possible if human rights, including the rights to privacy and peaceful assembly, are not respected,” Rebecca White warned.
“UAE authorities must not conduct illegal electronic surveillance, neither of conference participants nor of any citizen or resident of the Emirates,” he argued, noting that the country “must allow COP28 participants to download communications applications.” privacy-friendly international networks, like Signal, to ensure they can use secure, encrypted means of communication.”
Rebecca White recalled that the use of digital surveillance during the event can be a means of aggravating the repression of dissent and freedom of expression and recalled the case of activist Ahmed Mansoor, arrested in 2017 after a series of cyberattacks.
Ahmed Mansoor, known as the “last defender of human rights in the United Arab Emirates”, was the target of cyber attacks “facilitated by mercenary surveillance companies” and was caught criticizing the way the authorities acted, after having been imprisoned for six years, he stated. explained.
The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) is scheduled to take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
Source: TSF
