UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has granted a presidential pardon to Egyptian poet and activist Abdul Rahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, just days after an Abu Dhabi court sentenced him to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of AED 200,000.

Convicted by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on August 27, 2026.

The case was handled by the court’s Cybercrime Division, with authorities accusing him of offences involving activities considered to be aimed at stirring and undermining public security.

The presidential pardon was issued on September 4, according to the UAE’s official Emirates News Agency (WAM). Authorities said the necessary procedures had been taken to implement the pardon.

Al-Qaradawi had been taken into UAE custody after being extradited from Lebanon in January 2025. His case attracted attention from human rights organisations and UN experts, who had called for his release and raised concerns about his detention and freedom of expression.

Abdul Rahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi is the son of the late prominent Islamic scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi. He is known as a poet and political activist and has previously been associated with opposition politics in Egypt.

The pardon came only eight days after his 10-year sentence, bringing a dramatic turn to a case that had attracted considerable regional and international attention.