In UAE, not only prisoners of conscience are punished but their families too

Families of political prisoners and human rights activists who are jailed in Al Rezin prison, in the desert area of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, have reported that the prison authorities have deliberately barred them from visiting their imprisoned sons claiming that the phones which communicate the detainees with their families through the glass barriers, are broken and do not work.

They have also mentioned that Al Rezin prison authorities have used the excuse of the broken phones for more than once; in fact, on the 25th of December 2016, prison authorities intervened to cut off the visit of some families under the pretext of the broken phones and have evicted other families from the waiting room even before the start of their visit despite the completion of the inspection procedures.

Still, on December 26, 2016, the authorities of Al Rezin prison have also prevented the families from seeing their sons using again the broken phones as an excuse and did not care neither about the long distances that the families have done to get to the prison nor about their waiting in front of the prison gate for long hours.

The International Centre for Justice and Human Rights would like to recall of the bad reputation of Al Rezin prison, which was mentioned in more than one human rights report in which they described the prison as a notorious one that violates the detainees’ rights especially those of the political prisoners, human rights activists and bloggers who were exposed to torture and degrading treatment in addition to the spread of disease inside the prison.

Indeed, the ICJHR finds the prison officials’ excuse of the broken phones and the prevention of family visits without prior notice, as an attempt to crack down on prisoners of conscience and their families and a violation of their right to receive visits which was guaranteed by Emirati and International laws including Article 23 of the Federal Law No. 43 of 1992 on regulating penal institutions which confirmed that every prisoner has the right to contact his family and friends, receive visits and meet a counsel in private. 

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under any form of detention or imprisonment have also affirmed the prisoners’ right to remain in contact with their families and friends either through letters or through visits and have insisted on this right of having family visits as a fundamental and basic one.

Read full report: http://www.ic4jhr.org/en/activites/statements/605-uae-once-again,-emirat...