Suspicious: Freezing Mohammed Dahlan’s Activities in the UAE

Mustafa Afandy

Politics

26th October 2021

Suspicious: Freezing Mohammed Dahlan’s Activities in the UAE

Democratic Reform Movement issued a statement to respond to allegations (Getty).

The Claim

Emirates freezes the activities of Muhammad Dahlan and places him under house arrest.

News posted on

Emerging story

Several news websites reported that Mohammed Dahlan, the security advisor to Mohammed Bin Zaid, was suspended from all political, media, and security activities on Emirati soil. The reports articulated Dahlan’s alleged attempt to move his Office from Abu Dhabi to Cairo. At the same time, other sources attributed the suspension decision to demands from Turkey, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt on UAE to expel Dahlan.

Exclusive: UAE invisible #Palestinian hand Mohammed Dahlan prohibit from travelling outside the UAE, and placed under surveillance. @snarwani @Judson4Congress @rocco_castoro https://t.co/nfoD9CsEsz pic.twitter.com/WEeuTK41u7
— Truth Pact (@TheTruthPact) October 11, 2021

UAE authorities have asked Mohammed Dahlan, the security advisor to MbZ, to freeze all his political, media & security activities on UAE soil, which he takes as the center of his operations in the Middle East, & to prevent him from traveling outside the country. https://t.co/A0oAnyEDXT pic.twitter.com/VYibnwgrgb
— UK Redacted (@UkRedacted) October 11, 2021

Mohammed Dahlan is under house arrest in the UAE. He just turned 60 and I guess that is how Tahnoon treats him for cleaning up his multiple messes. There is much more to this story but imma sit back and chuckle a bit while the media catches up. https://t.co/3WrapoUBNJ
— Robert Young Pelton (@RYP__) October 15, 2021

Misbar’s Analysis

Mohammed Dahlan appears to be one of the most controversial political figures in the Middle East for the past two decades. The former member of the Palestinian Fatah Movement was expelled in 2011 after being charged with multiple crimes, including corruption. Then he moved to the UAE In 2012 and served as a security advisor to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. In 2019, Turkey included Dahlan on the red list of terrorists after accusing him of a relationship with the Gülen movement and the support for the attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016.

Despite the apparent tension between Dahlan and several political authorities in the region, there is no clear evidence of him being suspended and house detained by the Emirati authorities. Imad Mohsen, a spokesperson for The Democratic Reform Movement in the Fatah Movement, posted on his Facebook page addressing the allegations about Dahlan. Mohsen attacked the circulating news, describing it as lies and fabricated reports. The movement’s media platforms republished his Facebook post.

A supporting image within the article body

The photo shows a screenshot of the Facebook post mentioned above post written by Imad Mohsen.

However, no official statement was made from the Emirati authorities or Dahlan himself, who posted his last tweet on October 25, 2021. The absence of clear information from the central parts involved makes the story lack enough evidence to support or refute the claim. Especially when we notice the non-existence of any direct reference in Mohsen's post to the news of Dahlan being suspended by Abu Dhabi authorities. Misbar, therefore, concludes that the circulated claim is suspicious.