U.N. Condemns U.S. and UAE for Arbitrary Detention of Afghan Refugee

A United Nations body has accused the United States and the United Arab Emirates of jointly holding an Afghan man in arbitrary detention in Abu Dhabi for more than two years, a situation human rights groups say reflects a wider issue affecting thousands.

The individual, a former Afghan police colonel who cooperated with U.S. forces and faced Taliban threats, was evacuated with his family in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Known as "Mr. B" for protection purposes, he was assured by private U.S. operators that he would stay in the UAE temporarily before relocating to the U.S., according to U.N. documents.

Contrary to those assurances, Mr. B was detained at the Emirates Humanitarian City, a vast complex purportedly for conflict evacuees, under surveillance with movement restrictions for more than two years. The U.N. document identifies both the UAE and the United States as responsible and calls for compensation and reparations.

(With inputs from agencies.)