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Sweeping changes introduced by the in late 2021 are "deepening repression" in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a on Sunday.

Presented as "reforms", the legal changes "fail to address longstanding and systematic restrictions on political rights" and "pose grave threats to fundamental human rights," the NGO said in a statement.

"While the UAE government and its state-controlled media outlets trumpeted these new legislative changes as a massive step forward for economic and social freedoms, they will further entrench government-imposed repression,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW.

The changes were announced officially in November as part of a move to keep a competitive edge as conservative Gulf neighbour Saudi Arabia opens itself up to foreign investment. They included amendments to more than 40 laws in the field of crime, cybercrime and drugs.

Previous changes included decriminalising premarital sexual relations and alcohol consumption, and cancelling provisions for leniency when dealing with so-called "honour killings" in November 2020.

But the new crime and punishment and cybercrime laws passed in late 2021 made little room for political freedom. The roles still prohibit criticism of rulers, and include vague charges like spreading "misleading news" and "offending foreign states."

The UAE avoided 2011 uprisings in the Arab world but launched a crackdown on Islamists amid concerns about a spillover of unrest, and has enacted increasingly repressive policies since. Abu Dhabi has also supported the suppression of pro-democracy movements across the Middle East.

UAE authorities have denied access to United Nation experts, human rights researchers and critical journalists several times over the past seven years.

called on the UAE last week to release a group of dissidents who had completed prison terms earlier this year but had not yet been freed.