Amnesty Accuses UAE for Torturing Captives in Southern Yemen

Yamanyoon

Amnesty International has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major ally of Saudi Arabia in the Saudi coalition on Yemen, and it paid militias of torturing detainees in secret prisons in occupied coalition areas.

“The families of these detainees find themselves in an endless nightmare where their loved ones have been forcibly disappeared by UAE-backed forces. When they demand to know where their loved ones are held, or if they are even still alive, their requests are met with silence or intimidation,” said Tirana Hassan, the director of crisis response at Amnesty International.

The organization has documented between the period between March 2016- May 2018 in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, and Hadramout a widespread use of torture and other ill-treatment in Yemeni and UAE facilities, including beatings, electric shocks and sexual violence.

Amnesty International called for an immediate investigation into these violations that are considered as ”war crimes”.