Calls for Justice in Sednaya Prison, Abu Dhabi

Doha: Calls from human rights organizations have grown louder for the opening of the files of prisoners of conscience in the UAE’s Al-Razeen prison, located in Abu Dhabi. This demand follows increased attention on the atrocities at Syria’s notorious Sednaya prison.

Emirati human rights advocate Hamad Al-Shamsi pointed out, “The violations we are witnessing in Sednaya Prison in Damascus compel us to demand the opening of files of prisoners of conscience in prisons such as Al-Hayer in Riyadh, Al-Razeen in Abu Dhabi, and Al-Aqrab in Egypt.”

Al-Nuaimi highlighted that these prisons hold thousands of detainees who are unjustly deprived of their basic rights, stressing the urgent necessity of their release as a fundamental humanitarian requirement.

Al-Razeen prison, often referred to as “Sednaya Abu Dhabi,” was inaugurated in 2010, situated 110 km from Abu Dhabi’s city center in the desert. It is known for its strict security measures and constant surveillance. The majority of its inmates are political prisoners and individuals arrested for their views.

Global organizations categorize Al-Razeen prison as one of the ten worst prisons worldwide, with the International Centre for Prison Studies labeling it as the most notorious prison in the Arab world. Media outlets have also dubbed it the “Guantanamo” of the UAE due to the grave human rights violations occurring within.

The prison consists of 11 wings, each monitored by more than thirty cameras, and houses approximately 100 detainees, 61 of whom are political prisoners.

The conversation about prisons in Abu Dhabi and authoritarian regimes across the Arab world coincides with the revelations of the brutality in Syria’s prisons following the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad.

In the wake of Assad’s ousting and the release of thousands of detainees, calls have intensified for the Abu Dhabi authorities to disclose the fate of prisoners of conscience and to expedite their release.

The UAE Detainees Advocacy Center has expressed support for the recent release of tens of thousands of detainees from Syrian prisons, offering solidarity with their families who have endured years of suffering and forced disappearances.

In a statement reviewed by “Emirates Leaks,” the center emphasized that this moment serves to highlight the plight of prisoners of conscience across the Arab world and calls attention to the violations of their rights.

The center has called for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience in the UAE, especially those held in Al-Razeen prison and state security detention centers, ensuring their right to communicate with their families freely.

It reiterated that arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance are clear violations of international law, raising concerns about the physical and psychological damage that detainees may face after their release.

Furthermore, the center urged the international community and human rights organizations to exert pressure on the UAE and other Arab governments to release prisoners of conscience and guarantee their rights. It stressed that the lack of international action only perpetuates injustice and undermines the values of freedom and justice.

Recently, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, condemned the “horrific reality of political convictions” targeting peaceful opposition in the UAE, amidst the UAE’s crackdown on calls for reform and rights.

This came during a seminar held by a European human rights institute on the use of anti-terrorism laws to imprison 43 UAE opposition figures under severe sentences simply for expressing their views.

Lawlor pointed out that the UAE’s anti-terrorism laws are extremely vague, enabling harsh penalties, such as life imprisonment or even the death penalty, to be imposed on peaceful opponents without any proof of violent actions.

She emphasized that the ruling on July 10, 2024, against 43 human rights defenders in the UAE was a clear violation of their fundamental rights, particularly as it came after years of arbitrary detention and retrial.