The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has granted a pardon to Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-Turkish poet and activist. The decision, announced by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, comes shortly after the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal’s Cybercrime Circuit sentenced al-Qaradawi to ten years in prison and imposed a fine of 200,000 dirhams on August 27.

While the official reports confirm the pardon and the preceding conviction, there is a divergence in how the circumstances of his detention are described. Reports from Middle East Eye characterize al-Qaradawi’s time in custody as a period of being "forcibly disappeared" following his extradition to the UAE. Conversely, the initial reports regarding the court proceedings focused on the legal conviction under the country's cybercrime statutes without detailing the circumstances of his arrest or extradition process.

Al-Qaradawi is a well-known figure, recognized for his activism and poetry. His case has drawn attention due to his status as a dual national and his public political stances, including his vocal opposition to the Syrian government. The pardon effectively nullifies the ten-year sentence and the associated financial penalty, though the UAE government has not provided specific details regarding the reasoning behind the reversal of the court's decision.