Coronavirus reaches one of UAE prisons

We Record, human rights organization, revealed that the UAE authorities have kept the arrival of the coronavirus in Al Wathba prison secret, where dozens of prisoners of conscience are held.

The organization said in a press statement that at a time when the countries of the world live a bitter race against time to fight against the COVID-19, and limit its spread and protect the world’s population, the inmates of Al-Wathba prison (in Abu Dhabi) face real risks of contracting the virus after being able to One of the inmates.

She added that the arrival of the virus to the prison took place amid gross negligence, the UAE authorities neglected its role and assumed no responsibilities towards the health and lives of at least 4000 inmates.

The organization stated that its team monitored the case of injury inside the ward (4B) of men designated to deposit misdemeanor cases from inmates inside the notorious Al Wathba prison, and the number of depositors is 140 people, spread over 24 detention rooms, sharing in their needs only eight bathrooms.

The organization affirmed that the presence of contact points in which the men inmates gather in its various wards increase the risk circle and help the virus to spread easily among the 4000 prisoners, all of whom pass through one hall, the “transit hall”.

In a report, Human Rights Watch revealed that there are cases of coronavirus infection among the inmates of Al-Wathba prison and they do not have the necessary health care for their dangerous health conditions.

We Record previously documented the inhumane conditions in which the inmates of Al Wathba Prison live in its two divisions, men and women, and systematic violations by the prison staff that have deprived prisoners of rights such as “health care, exercise, humane treatment, quality of basic services, infrastructure, and systems Healthy food.”

In light of the importance and sanctity of the human right to life and health, it stressed the need for the UAE authorities to take the necessary measures to protect the inmates of Al Wathba Prison from the coronavirus and other diseases that do not find a fertile environment for proliferation better than prisons such as Al Wathba.

The organization stressed that the danger is not limited to inmates only, but will be in contact with prison officials and visitors who visit him.

We Record said that the authorities are responsible for the punitive and correctional facilities in UAE to provide comprehensive health care for those currently injured and to take the necessary isolation measures.

The organization emphasized the need to completely sterilize the penal institution and work to reduce the number of prisoners to a degree that would allow for isolation measures to be carried out, by releasing and pardoning the prisoners in misdemeanor cases in financial matters, and those who completed half of the other cases.

The rights organization also called for the provision of sterilizers and personal cleaning materials in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization, and in line with the minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners, and subjecting new prisoners to detection, examination and isolation as soon as they come to verify that they are free of the virus.

The human rights organization also urged the need not to transfer prisoners from a penal facility to another facility, and the need to provide psychological support to prisoners in order not to cause panic cases between them.