November 13, 2026

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated today that the United Arab Emirates bears responsibility for the safety of Yemeni physician and writer Marwan Al-Ghafouri, who is currently in the country, and for the immediate disclosure of his whereabouts and fate. This comes after contact with him was lost on Thursday, November 12, while he was traveling from his residence in Dubai to the airport to return to Germany.

On the same day, his wife, writer Sarah Yassin, posted an appeal on her Facebook page stating that contact with him had been cut off since the morning, and that the airline confirmed he did not board his flight bound for Düsseldorf, Germany, nor did he arrive at his destination. She added that she had notified the police in Germany and the UAE Embassy.

Meanwhile, the news website Al-Masdar Online quoted sources it described as close to the writer, novelist, and physician Marwan Al-Ghafouri as saying that he was arrested in the UAE, without any official announcement regarding his whereabouts or legal status.

SAM noted that Al-Ghafouri had arrived in the UAE at the official invitation of the Sharjah Book Authority to participate in the cultural program accompanying the Sharjah International Book Fair. The attached invitation shows that his participation was scheduled as part of the fair’s events from November 4 to 15, 2026.

Tawfiq Al-Hamidi, President of SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, said: "The UAE bears direct responsibility for revealing the fate of Marwan Al-Ghafouri and ensuring his safety. As the hosting entity, the Sharjah Book Authority must clarify what it knows regarding his departure arrangements and provide clear answers to his family."

The organization stated that Al-Ghafouri’s failure to board his flight and the loss of contact with him raise serious concerns regarding his safety and whereabouts. It demands that the UAE declare whether he is being held in custody, and disclose his location as well as the legal basis for any action taken against him. Should he be detained, he must be allowed to communicate with his family, his lawyer, and German consular authorities, be informed of the reasons for his detention, and be guaranteed the right to challenge its legality before a competent judicial body.

SAM calls on the Sharjah Book Authority to disclose any information it possesses regarding Al-Ghafouri’s recent movements, clarify its role in arranging his transfer from Sharjah to Dubai, and cooperate with his family and the relevant authorities to obtain clear answers. It also urges the German government to follow up on the case through consular channels, request official information regarding his whereabouts and safety, and keep his family informed.

The organization affirms that the UAE is responsible for ensuring the safety of Dr. Marwan Al-Ghafouri as long as he remains on its territory, and must provide urgent and clear information about his whereabouts and fate. If it is established that he was detained by an official entity or with its authorization, coupled with a denial of his detention or concealment of his whereabouts, this constitutes the crime of enforced disappearance.

SAM demands the immediate disclosure of his fate, an urgent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss of contact with him, and full accountability for anyone proven to be involved in any violation.