The story: Former UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson has called on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to free activist Ahmed Mansoor four years after his jailing for criticizing Emirati authorities. Separately, a British court has found that the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ordered the hacking of his ex-wife’s phone during divorce custody proceedings. The rights-focused media coverage comes as Dubai is promoting tolerance at the world expo.

The coverage: On Oct. 6, Reuters Gulf correspondent Alexander Cornwell tweeted that former UN commissioner Mary Robinson “call[ed] on the UAE to immediately release pro-democracy campaigner Ahmed Mansoor.” Robinson described Mansoor as a “brave human rights defender,” in comments she made during an event sponsored by a UAE-owned utility company as part of the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020. Cornwell later reported that Robinson’s appearance was “interrupted by the conference moderator and ended just a few minutes after starting.”

In 2018, Robinson was photographed with the Emir of Dubai’s daughter—Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum—currently thought to be held captive by her father.

Also on Oct. 6, the US-funded Al-Hurra website reported that the UK’s High Court ruled that Sheikh Maktoum had “ordered the hacking of the phones of his wife, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, and her lawyer, during the period of custody rights proceedings over their two children.” The report added that the ruler of Dubai denied the allegations, calling on the media to respect the privacy of his children regarding the issue.

In response to the phone hacking story, Palestinian human rights activist Iyad El-Baghdadi tweeted, “Happy Expo 2020 everyone. The UAE regime threw a fit when the EU Parliament called for a boycotting Expo 2020. Now, the EU’s position seems very prescient (and measured) given the extent of the abuse emanating from this brutal kleptocracy.”

Baghdadi was expelled from the UAE in 2015 and his phone was later hacked using the Pegasus software.

The context/analysis: International attention has returned to the UAE’s human rights record against the backdrop of the Dubai Expo 2020 world fair. While the UAE has used the event to promote itself as a relatively tolerant and progressive society compared with more conservative Gulf Arab states, the authorities continue to demonstrate little tolerance for political dissent. Human Rights Watch reports that the UAE has imprisoned numerous Emirati political activists—including Mansoor—for their public criticisms of the government and for drawing attention to human rights abuses.

Notably, Robinson chose to call for Mansoor’s release during an UAE-sponsored event. She had previously accused the government of tricking her into appearing in a photo with Sheikh Maktoum’s daughter, Sheikha Latifa. According to Robinson the photo, which was taken in Dec. 2018, was released to the public in breach of a promise made to her for it to remain private. At the time of Robinson’s visit back then, human rights organizations alleged that Maktoum had confined his daughter to a villa after forcibly returning her to Dubai following an unsuccessful attempt to flee the country.

In July, a joint investigation by 17 media outlets found evidence suggesting that the UAE was among a number of Arab governments who had used the Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to secretly monitor and surveil journalists, political activists, politicians, and business leaders. The investigation found that Pegasus was used to hack the communications of Mansoor and recently-deceased exiled Emirati activist, Alaa Al-Siddiq.

The finding that Maktoum ordered the hacking of his ex-wife’s phone indicates that Pegasus has been used not only to monitor political dissidents but also in settling at least some personal affairs. Despite Maktoum’s denials, Princess Haya and her legal team claimed that Sheikha Latifa’s alleged abduction and return to Dubai were facilitated by intercepted communications.

The future: In the absence of meaningful international pressure, the UAE will continue to employ harsh tactics and breach human rights standards in its efforts to silence political dissent. Meanwhile, the Emirati government will use well-funded initiatives such as the Dubai Expo to promote the country as a free and open society with the aim of attracting skilled workers and furthering its economic diversification goals.

Human rights organizations will no doubt persevere in their efforts to undermine the official Emirati narrative. But given the political and economic relationships with the Gulf states, where there is generally limited tolerance for dissent, it is not likely that the UAE will be singled out for criticism.