UAE strip prisoners of conscience of their pensions

The UAE authorities decided last week to suspend retirement payments to inmates at Al-Razeen prison, the Geneva-based International Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ICJHR) have reported.

The arbitrary measure will not only affect the detainees but also their families, who will be deprived of a fixed income that covers their needs and guarantees them a decent standard of living, the centre said.

Al-Razeen Prison is a maximum-security prison often referred to as the Guantanamo of the UAE. It holds mostly political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, such as Nasser bin Ghaith and Mohammed al-Roken.

Contrary to what is stated by Emirati authorities, the prison conditions are poor, and breaches of human rights, such as torture and ill-treatment, are systematic.