SAM Organization Calls to Close all Illegal Detention Centers in Territories under Legitimate Government in Aden and Hadhramout

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, said that it is “following with great concern spread of illegal/informal and secret prisons, operated by the parties to the conflict in Yemen.

Secret prisons operated by Houthis-Saleh group became wide phenomena in Sana’a, the capital, and they lack minimum legal and human standards. SAM organization has documented existence of many illegal prisons and will issue a report to that effect as soon it is completed.

SAM organization added that similar prisons also exist in the territories under legitimate government control, particularly in Aden and Hadhramout governorate, also these prisons are not under judicial supervision, thereby exacerbating detainees’ sufferings.

SAM organization confirmed that its monitors have documented several illegal detention facilities in Aden and Hadhramout governorate under the supervision of military groups, including Security Belt in Aden and Hadhrami Elite forces in Mukalla, which are under direct supervision of the United Arab Emirates, member to the Arab Coalition. Detainees are subjected to physical and psychological torture and are denied their basic rights as guaranteed by the Yemeni constitution and international law.

SAM organization indicated that it has documented several major illegal detention facilities and prisons in Aden under Security Belt control, which is supervised by UAE, including:

1. Detention in Coalition camp in Khor Maxer;
2. Detention in Al-Eshreen camp in Crater, near the interim premises of the legitimate government (Al-Ma’asheeq palace), commanded by colonel Imam Al-Noubi, where journalists Husam Radman, Majed Al-Shuaibi, and Hani Al-Gunaid, were detained and subjected to physical and psychological torture.
3. Detention in the Security Belt camp in al-Buraiqa, was under Salafi leader Nabeel Al-Mashoushi, and was dismissed by the Emirati forces and replaced by Muneer Al-Yafe’e “Abu Alyamama”.
4. Al-Enshaat camp detention, where detainee Asim Seif Saeed was tortured by Security Belt forces.
5. Bir Ahmed detention, which was a farm owned by Al-Aqrabi, who leased it to the Emirati forces to establish the detention. The prison warden, guards and soldiers are all from the same tribe if Al-Aqrabi
6. Detention in a camp known as Mar in al-Buraiqa.
7. Detention in Al-Zhalmat village near al-Buraiqa.
8. Al-Enshaat camp detention, (support camp), controlled by Abu Al-Yamama.

SAM organization also verified from different sources that there are many other unknown prisons controlled by military commanders or armed factions.

SAM also documented illegal detentions affiliated to Aden Security Department, and are under direct supervision of the former governor Aidrous Al-Zabedi, and security commander Shalal Sahie’, major ones are:

1. Wadhah hall detention, in Attuahi, former Laila Nightclub.
2. Al-Feel bay resort detention.
3. Fourth zone detention.
4. Presidential camp detention near Al-Arous resort.
5. Detention at Shalal Shaie’, security commander’s house, in Gold Muhr at the small tunnel.
6. Detention at the military administrative base.
7. Jabal Hadeed detention, under former governor, Aidrous Al-Zabedi’s supervision.
8. 7 October camp detention where many civilians were detained without prosecution.

SAM organization has also documented several illegal detentions in Mukalla city, Hadhramout, under Emirate military commanders’ control, where many violations that SAM has documented are perpetrated. Major detentions are;

1. Al-Ryan detention inside al-Rayan airport under Abu Ahmed, an Emirati, where many detainees and forcibly disappeared were kept. Recently, some of the detainees were allowed to contact their relatives, while it was not allowed before.
2. Adhabba port detention, it was a functioning port before, now a detention center under UAE forces supervision.
3. Rabwa detention, in Mukalla city behind Khalaf area, and it was a military facility in the past.
4. Republican palace detention, established recently in the republican palace in Mukalla.
5. Gheel bin Yameen detention, a notorious prison and its whereabouts is unknown.
6. Socotra island detention, established recently by UAE force in the island.

Torture means in the Prisons:

SAM organization has documented statements by former detainees in these illegal and secret prisons and detentions who have been subjected to torture and inhuman treatment. These statements concluded that;

1. Detainees were blindfolded throughout the day, only when they go to toilet, and remain blindfolded for weeks and months.
2. Mock execution; where detainees were informed that their execution is soon, and then they will be transported to the execution site. The detainees get panic and some pee in themselves, then they will be transferred in military vehicles blindfolded, believing that they will be executed, then they will be taken into certain place and released and they told that they are released, you are innocent and we apologize.
3. Sever beating, inside the prions became a routine practice, rendering some detainees’ incapable of walking, or moving.
4. Strip off some detainees and tie their private organ and drag them till are about to die, then they rest for a while and then repeat the same practice.
5. Tie hands and blindfold the detainees for days, as one detainee in the republican palace in Mukalla stated.
6. Tie detainees hand to their back, kept at kneeling position, and beat and kick them at chest, abdomen, thighs, feet, and joints using cables.
7. Stripping off the detainees, leaving them with underwear only, and drag them, causing sever pains.
8. “in Al-Rayan airport, we were received with verbal insults, sever beatings and threats. Then our hands and legs were tied with plastic cuffs and locked in a container containing 40 detainees, at 53 degree heat, although it is equipped with A/C, and we were allowed to go to the toilet only once a day” one detainee in Al-Rayan stated.
9. Some detainees were beaten in their soles to the extent that they could not walk, also trained dogs were used in the torture.

SAM organization stated that arrest of the suspects is conducted without any judicial order, rather at direct instruction made by Abu Ahmed, an Emirate officer, who supervises the Hadhrami Elite forces, which operates independently from the local authority.

SAM organization confirmed its strong condemnation to all illegal detentions and violations perpetrated, and called upon the legitimate government to strictly commit to the international human rights conventions, where such detentions violates the international law and international humanitarian law, and such crime are considered as crimes against humanity.

SAM organization has also called upon the legitimate government to ensure the role of law, activate judiciary system on all detentions and immediately release all detainees.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties

Genève,25 May 2017