Trans activist detained in Dubai – demand justice now
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Trans activist Lilit Martirosyan faced illegal detention and humiliation in Dubai. Demand that Emirates investigates and apologizes. Sign now for just

In May 2025, Armenian trans human rights defender Lilit Martirosyan was traveling from São Paulo to Mombasa, with a layover in Dubai. She never left the airport. She never sought to enter the UAE. Yet she was detained, interrogated, denied hotel accommodation, and told: “You are a trans person – you cannot enter Dubai.”

Lilit’s experience was not an isolated mistake. From the moment she checked in at the Emirates desk in São Paulo, red flags were raised. Her passport was held for an unusual amount of time, and she was asked questions unrelated to travel procedure. Once in Dubai, she was intercepted at the gate, had her passport confiscated without legal grounds, was photographed without consent, and was forced to endure more than 14 hours without food, water, or rest.

This is not how any human being should be treated – especially not while in transit, with no intention of entering the country.

And yet, Emirates refuses to take responsibility. Despite numerous complaints and clear evidence that Lilit was eligible for a layover hotel under Emirates’ own policy, they responded with silence, delays, and denials. They claim they “do not have jurisdiction.” But this didn’t happen in a vacuum – the discriminatory treatment likely began with Emirates’ own staff in Brazil.

This is more than a customer service failure – it’s a blatant act of transphobia that violates international law. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits arbitrary detention. The UN Convention Against Torture bars cruel and degrading treatment. And the Yogyakarta Principles affirm the right of every person, regardless of gender identity, to be free from discrimination.

This matters not just for Lilit – but for every trans person who dares to travel, to speak up, to move through the world with dignity.

Discrimination in the air, in airports, and across borders is real – but it’s rarely seen so clearly. This time, we have names, faces, and facts.

Now we need justice.

Sign the petition to demand accountability from Emirates.

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To President of Emirates Airline Sir Tim Clark, Emirates Customer Affairs Team, UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, and International Air Transport Association (IATA) leadership.:

We are deeply concerned over the degrading and discriminatory treatment endured by Lilit Martirosyan, a respected human rights defender and president of the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, during her transit through Dubai International Airport in May 2025.

Ms. Martirosyan was not entering the United Arab Emirates. She was a confirmed passenger on Emirates flight EK262 from São Paulo and onward to Mombasa. As a transit traveler with a 14-hour layover, she was eligible for hotel accommodation under Emirates’ “Dubai Connect” program.

Instead, upon arrival in Dubai, she was intercepted by airport security, detained for hours, denied food and rest, photographed without her consent, and told she could not enter Dubai “because she is a trans person.” Her passport was confiscated unlawfully and only returned shortly before her next flight.

This entire ordeal was degrading, unnecessary, and unlawful. It appears to have been triggered by an alert sent from the Emirates check-in desk in São Paulo – a chilling prospect that suggests the airline flagged her gender identity to immigration authorities.

Your responses to Ms. Martirosyan’s formal complaints have failed to address the gravity of what occurred. The airline’s refusal to launch an internal investigation or take accountability is unacceptable.

We call on Emirates to:

• Open a transparent internal investigation into the incident

• Disclose the findings and issue a formal public apology to Ms. Martirosyan

• Compensate her for the material and psychological harm suffered

• Commit to reviewing policies to ensure no other trans traveler is subjected to similar mistreatment

We further urge Emirates’ international partners to re-evaluate codeshare arrangements and transit agreements that allow discriminatory practices to persist unchecked.

This case has become a powerful symbol of the risks trans people face while traveling. Emirates has a choice: remain silent, or lead by example in upholding human rights and dignity for all.

We ask you to choose the latter.

Campaign started by Right Side NGO
0people have signed
Goal: 100
Campaign started by Right Side NGO

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