UAE pardons Egyptian dissident-poet al-Qaradawi facing 10 years in prison

What the report says

The United Arab Emirates has pardoned Egyptian opposition activist and poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, according to state media cited by Al Jazeera. Al-Qaradawi had been held in the UAE after being arrested in Lebanon in December 2024 and extradited to the Gulf state in January 2025. The case has drawn international attention because he is a prominent dissident and the son of the late Islamist scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Al Jazeera reported that the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal’s Cybercrime Division sentenced him on August 27 to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of 200,000 dirhams, or about $55,000. The charges cited by the report involved activities said to threaten or undermine public security. The UAE’s state news agency WAM said President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued the pardon and that steps were underway to carry it out, though it was not immediately clear whether al-Qaradawi had been released.

The case has been controversial beyond the UAE. Rights organizations and UN experts had called for his release, arguing that he was being punished for free expression. His family had also warned that extraditing him could put his life at risk. More broadly, the case reflects continuing regional disputes over political dissent, speech, and the treatment of critics of Arab governments.