Top UAE officials to face legal cases in UK, US, Turkey

A group of solicitors have filed a request for the opening of a new case against top officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in three countries, revealing new evidence of extrajudicial killings in Yemen since 2015.

The legal team of the London-based Stoke and White law firm has submitted new evidence to authorities in the U.K., the U.S. and Turkey on the attacks that targeted civilians and the members of Yemen’s Al-Islah party.

“This evidence provides compelling legal grounds for authorities to investigate and prosecute under Universal Jurisdiction laws in the United Kingdom and the United States and Turkey,” the Stoke and White said.

Mohamed Dahlan, former Palestinian head of security and key adviser to UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “is believed to have appointed American mercenaries to carry out high-profile assassinations of Al-Islah party leaders and MPs.”

“The American mercenaries were given ranks and uniforms and were part of the command structure of the UAE Ministry of Defence,” the lawyers said.

Abdullah Suliman Abdullah Daubalah, one of the victims represented by the law firm, said he escaped a bomb attack as a journalist, which targeted his party Al-Islah’s building in Aden in 2015 and the order for the attack was given by Mohammed Dahlan -- an aide to the UAE crown prince and a terrorist sought for by Turkey on a red bulletin.

Adel Salem Nasser Mofgah, another victim testifying in the case, said he was tortured in a UAE-controlled center and claimed other people were also tortured there.

“Evidence of war crimes and torture in Yemen have been submitted to the UK's Metropolitan Police Service, US Department of Justice and Turkey's Ministry of Justice,” a statement by Stoke and White said.

Gulden Sonmez, a lawyer from Turkey, said during a news conference on the case that she represented two Yemeni victims, who are refugees in Turkey at the moment.

She said the UAE crown prince and other UAE officials and soldiers were among the perpetrators.

Sonmez underlined that they have sufficient evidence showing Dahlan’s involvement in killings in Yemen by mercenaries.

She said they expect the Turkish Ministry of Justice will allow a universal jurisdiction for the arrests of the accused as the crimes were enlightened by the UN reports.