Prisoners sexually tortured, abused in UAE-run jails in Yemen

Yemeni detainees have been sexually abused at a jail in southern Yemen believed to be run by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Associated Press (AP) revealed.

Fifteen officers who arrived at Beir Ahmed prison in Aden hid their faces behind their headdresses, but their accents were clearly identifiable as from the UAE, Associated Press reported. They lined up the detainees and ordered them to undress and lie down. The officers then searched the anal cavity of each prisoner, claiming to be looking for contraband mobile phones.

The men screamed and wept. Those who resisted were threatened by barking dogs and beaten until they bled, witnesses said.

Descriptions of abuse suggest sexual torture is rampant in UAE-controlled prisons in Yemen.

Details of the US ally’s secret prisons and use of torture were exposed by an AP investigation in June last year. AP has since identified at least five jails where security forces allegedly use sexual torture against prisoners.

UAE officials did not respond to requests for comment.