Human Rights Watch raises concern over prolonged arbitrary detention of South Sudanese critic in UAE

Human Rights Watch says South Sudanese political commentator Samuel Peter Oyay has remained in detention in the United Arab Emirates for a year without charge.

The rights group says Emirati authorities have not told Oyay’s family the legal basis for his arrest.

Oyay fled South Sudan in 2014, citing fears for his safety, and later moved to the UAE, where he ran a private business.

He also wrote for independent South Sudan-focused platforms, where he criticized the government over alleged corruption benefiting political elites.

Human Rights Watch says Emirati security forces arrested Oyay on September 30, 2025, at his home in Dubai, in front of his four children.

An informed source told the rights group that the security officers searched the home for about two hours but did not show a warrant or tell Oyay the charges against him.

According to Human Rights Watch, Oyay was allowed to call his family two weeks after his arrest, but his whereabouts were not disclosed to his relatives for five months.

The rights group says Oyay later told a source that he was being held at al-Wathba prison. He was transferred to another prison on March 3, 2026.

Human Rights Watch says prison authorities allow Oyay one short phone call each week.

His family was eventually allowed to visit him on July 8 but has not been able to see him since.

Oyay’s last article before his arrest was published on September 21, 2025. In it, he criticized the trial of opposition leader Riek Machar, describing it as an attempt by President Salva Kiir to weaken a political rival.

Joey Shea, senior United Arab Emirates researcher at Human Rights Watch, called for Oyay’s immediate release.

“The UAE government’s zero-tolerance policy toward peaceful criticism is increasingly targeting critics of Abu Dhabi’s foreign allies who live in the UAE,” Shea said.

“Emirati authorities should immediately release Samuel Oyay, who has been held for a year without charge.”

Human Rights Watch has previously documented cases involving South Sudanese critics in exile who were allegedly disappeared or forcibly returned with the support of the South Sudanese government.

The rights group is also raising concerns over UAE laws that allow state security authorities to hold detainees for extended periods without judicial scrutiny.

Human Rights Watch says the UAE should ensure that detainees are brought before an independent judge within 48 hours to determine the legality and necessity of their detention.

Shea said Oyay’s continued detention demonstrates what Human Rights Watch describes as restrictions on critics living in the UAE.

“The UAE’s continued detention of Oyay shows authorities’ relentless attack on human rights against its own citizens and residents who make the UAE their home,” Shea said.

“The UAE isn’t content with silencing their own critics but is also doing the same for its allies.”

The UAE and South Sudan have strengthened bilateral relations in recent years, with President Salva Kiir visiting the UAE at least three times in 2025.