Leading Emirati Human Rights Defender Dies Amid Suspicious Circumstances

Prominent Emirati human rights activist Alaa al-Siddiq died tragically

late Saturday in a car crash in London, the UK.

Alaa al-Siddiq was the daughter of Mohammad al-Siddiq, a political prisoner in UAE jails since 2013.

Stripped of her nationality, Alaa took asylum in Qatar in 2012 to settle then in London in 2018 after the UAE asked Doha to hand her over.

Dozens of human rights groups and prominent activists mourned Alaa as a prominent dissident Emirati rights activist and critic.

However, some activists raised questions about her sudden death, especially that she was wanted by UAE authorities.

Alaa Al-Siddiq, Director of @ALQST_En , died yesterday.

She spent most of her life fighting for the release of her father from UAE prisons & for rights of prisoners across the world. She never got to see her father be freed. Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. pic.twitter.com/e8n8HXuIRU

The news of Alaa'a ( @alaa_q ) passing is devastating!

Alaa is a Human Rights Defender & the daughter of a political prisoner detained in UAE since 2013.

Foul play or not (time will tell). Alaa lived and died for justice.

https://twitter.com/husseinch96/status/1406533225200115712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1406533225200115712%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2021%2F6%2F20%2Fprominent-emirati-activist-dies-in-london-car-crash

More than 200 political prisoners are currently held in UAE jails amid frequent rights calls for their immediate and unconditional release, especially that some of them are held beyond their release dates.