DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Amnesty International is appealing for the release of two prominent rights lawyers arrested by United Arab Emirates as part of widening crackdowns on perceived political dissent.
A statement Wednesday by the London-based rights group also urges the UAE to end detentions that have targeted activists and members of an Islamist group calling for a greater public voice in the country's affairs.
Similar appeals were made by other groups, including Human Rights Watch.
The rights lawyers, Mohammed al-Roken and Mohammed al-Mansoori, were among nearly a dozen people taken into custody in the past week.
The UAE has sharply increased pressure on political activists and bloggers since the Arab Spring uprisings began last year.
