Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the prolonged arbitrary detention of South Sudanese political commentator Samuel Peter Oyay in the United Arab Emirates. Oyay has been held in detention for over a year without charge. According to the rights group, Oyay fled South Sudan in 2014, citing fears for his safety, and later moved to the UAE, where he ran a private business and wrote for independent South Sudan-focused platforms.
Oyay was arrested on September 30, 2025, at his home in Dubai, in front of his four children, by Emirati security forces. The security officers searched the home for about two hours but did not show a warrant or tell Oyay the charges against him. He was allowed to call his family two weeks after his arrest, but his whereabouts were not disclosed to his relatives for five months. Oyay later told a source that he was being held at al-Wathba prison.
Human Rights Watch says Oyay was transferred to another prison on March 3, 2026. 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 which 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. Shea stated that 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. 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.
Human Rights Watch is also raising concerns over UAE laws that allow state security authorities to hold detainees for extended periods without judicial scrutiny. The rights group 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. This is to prevent prolonged arbitrary detention and ensure that human rights are protected.
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. However, 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.
The detention of Oyay has raised concerns about the UAE's treatment of critics and human rights. Shea stated that “The UAE isn’t content with silencing their own critics but is also doing the same for its allies.” Human Rights Watch continues to call for Oyay’s immediate release and an end to the UAE's restrictions on human rights.
Key points
- Human Rights Watch raises concern over prolonged arbitrary detention of South Sudanese critic in UAE
- Oyay has been held in detention for over a year without charge
- UAE laws allow state security authorities to hold detainees for extended periods without judicial scrutiny
