Al Razeen Prison –“The Guantanamo of the UAE”
Al Razeen Prison is often referred to as the Guantanamo prison of the UAE. It detains mostly political prisoners and has been used extensively since the UAE94 trials, which led to the imprisonment of social and political activists who campaign for reform in the country by submitting a petition to the ruling authorities.
Al Razeen prison in 100 km from Abu Dhabi and currently holds an estimated 100 inmates. In 2012 the UAE authorities appeared to have updated the conditions in the prison, the Prime Minister went to inspect the conditions and declared them to be safe. Despite this there remains serious concern about the conditions of the prison and the inmates. A number of the prisoners in being held there are those convicted during the UAE 94 trial. Whilst the prisoners remain there and the prison remains open the UAE authorities are continuing to breach international law and their own laws, the prisoners are not being held in line with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
- Of the UAE 94 inmates, Amnesty International has classed at least 10 of the prisoners in Al Razeen as Prisoners of Conscience
- The prisoners have reported that the conditions inside the prison are well below international standards
- Prisoners have reported that the use of torture, starvation, solitary confinement. In addition to this, unsanitary conditions, a lack of natural light and overcrowding.
- Prisoners have had their meal sizes drastically reduced with reports that this has led them to collapsing.
- 18 prisoners went on hunger strike to protest their treatment
Conditions in the prison
The prison conditions are notoriously poor and there have been numerous concerns raised about the treatment that detainees face in the prison.
The detainees in Al Razeen have worryingly reported the use of torture whilst in detention. The torture has reportedly included:
- Beatings
- hair and nails being pulled
- threats of rape
Other complaints have included:
- Searches of detainees and personal property without justification
- Solitary confinement
- Lack of appropriate bedding and facilities – the prison location in the desert means that temperatures vary greatly with temperature often very low, leaving detainees cold and prone to illness as result Lack of natural light in the cells or detainees are left in the courtyard of the prison, where they are exposed to the blazing desert sun without any shade
- Use of non-Emirati police, with no Arabic language skills – leaving detainees unable to communicate with the guards
- Prevention of praying in congregation for Friday prayers
- Confiscation of personal effects and clothing
- Refusal of meetings with Ministry of Interior
- Lack of food for detainees – with mealtimes being held close together, detainees are often left unable to eat from early evening at 5pm until breakfast the following morning. The detainees are not allowed to take food to their cells and are prevented from buying food from the prison canteen
- Lack of potable water
- There is limited to no access to visitation for detainees. Some visits are allowed – but often a glass screen will prevent the detainees having any physical contact with their families. Disabled relatives are not allowed to visit the detainees.
- Prevention of access to newspapers, books or other reading material
- lnsults and verbal abuse
The UAE response:
The UAE authorities have not responded to requests for visits from the UN Special Rapporteur on torture. When the UAE were questioned about the prison and the conditions there claimed to have made improvements to the prison. In 2012, the Emirati newspaper, Gulf News reported that Lt. General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior had inspected the improvements of the prison.
It was reported that Shaikh Saif had inspected the improvements and said that the UAE leadership would make every effort to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of detainees into Emirati life.
Yet despite this reports from the detainees continue to show that there has been no improvement in the conditions in Al Razeen and reflected by Emirati prosecutor Khaled al Hosani, who said “there are no rights for prisoners.”
At the 29th session of the Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, Gabriela Knaul said
“The Special Rapporteur is of the opinion that the lack of serious investigation into that type of allegation encourages impunity for perpetrators. It also constitutes a violation of the obligations of the United Arab Emirates under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.”
The ICFUAE calls for the closure of Al Razeen prison and for the improvement in treatment and conditions of all prisoners whilst in detention.
#ClosealRazeenPrison