Rights group condemns UAE’s continued decision to ban prison visits
The UAE authorities lifted all restrictions and preventative measures related to the Coronavirus more than a month ago. However, the Emirate authorities extended its decision to ban prison visits in Al-Razeen Prison since 2020 under the pretext of the Corona pandemic.
The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center reiterates that using the pandemic as a justification to continue preventing visits is a new violation of human rights, as is the decision to continue denying detainees access to their families. International and UAE law guarantee detainees the right to see their families regularly.
The Center said it is shocked by the UAE authorities’ insistence on this decision, which confirms that the decision has other purposes other than shielding detainees from the pandemic. The visits occur behind a glass barrier, which prohibits detainees from having contact with visitors.
The Center makes it clear that the prolonged suspension of visits is a kind of psychological torture illegal under international law and that its continuation cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
The Center requests that the UAE authorities quickly overturn this unfair ruling and permit visiting hours for the inmates’ families. It further asks that the United Nations and its procedures pressure the UAE government to stop these abuses.
