- DUBAI: The president of the lawyers' association in the United Arab Emirates says authorities have replaced its board as part of a crackdown on reform movements in the Gulf nation.
Mohammed Al-Roken says he received a hand-delivered note from officials dismissing 11 elected members of the Jurist Association's board and replacing them with state-appointed substitutes. Thursday's decision appears linked to efforts to silence calls for democratic reforms in the Gulf federation, where nearly all political activity is banned. Four independent activists have been detained after signing a petition calling for an elected parliament. The Jurist Association posted a legal framework for possible elections.



