DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The family of a prominent rights lawyer in Dubai says he has been detained by security forces waging a crackdown on perceived political dissent across the United Arab Emirates.
Lawyer Mohammed al-Roken's wife says he was taken into custody early on Tuesday. Umm Rashid says her husband was taken as he sought information about his son and brother-in-law, who were detained on Monday.
Al-Roken has defended some high-profile activists accused of anti-state crimes. The UAE has sharply stepped up pressures on Islamists factions and other groups that have urged for political reforms since the Arab Spring uprisings.
There was no immediate comment from Emirati officials. The UAE deported Monday an Emirati online rights campaigner to Thailand — where he has no personal connection — in the first such expulsion.
