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Protesters at the U.N. climate summit in Abu Dhabi held signs with the images of Ahmed Mansoor and Alaa Abdel-Fattah, two human rights activists imprisoned in the UAE and Egypt respectively. The protesters were from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and they faced censorship and security threats from the U.N. and the host country. (AP Photo)
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The U.N. asked them to fold over the signs with the names of the detainees, and to avoid naming the UAE and Egypt during the protest. (AP Photo)
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The protesters criticized the U.N. for allowing the summit to be held in countries that violate human rights and suppress dissent. (AP Photo)
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The Emirati government and the organization in charge of COP28 did not comment on the protest. (AP Photo)
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Mansoor is a prominent Emirati activist who won the Martin Ennals Award in 2015, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2017 for his advocacy of free press and democracy. (AP Photo)
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Mansoor was also targeted with Israeli spyware on his iPhone in 2016, likely by the Emirati authorities. (AP Photo)
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Abdel-Fattah is a famous Egyptian activist who participated in the 2011 Arab Spring, and has been in and out of prison since then for his criticism of the regime. (AP Photo)
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Abdel-Fattah went on a hunger strike in 2020 to protest his detention, and has not been released despite having British citizenship and international support. (AP Photo)
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The protesters also showed the image of Mohamed al-Siddiq, another Emirati detainee, and staged a sit-in at OPEC’s stand to oppose the fossil fuel industry. (AP Photo)
