Associated Press: Yemeni Prisoners Victims of Sexual Torture by Emirati Officers

The Associated Press reports, based on interviews with witnesses, that officers of the United Arab Emirates army have sexually tortured hundreds of Yemeni prisoners in the Bir Ahmed prison in Aden. However, the UAE has denied these allegations. According to these witnesses, on March 10 of this year (corresponding to Esfand 19, 1396), 15 officers, who covered their faces but spoke with an accent indicating they were from the UAE, ordered the prisoners to strip and lie on the ground. They then examined the rectums of each prisoner, claiming they were searching for smuggled mobile phones. The report states that the prisoners screamed and cried, but the Emirati officers intimidated those who resisted with wild dogs or beat them severely. The Associated Press writes that such treatment has been meted out to hundreds of prisoners, indicating the prevalence of sexual torture and the impunity of the Bir Ahmed prison officials, who are controlled by Emirati military personnel. The news agency revealed the existence of secret prisons and the prevalence of torture in a report last year. Since then, the Associated Press has identified at least five men who have been sexually tortured by UAE security forces. Witnesses told the Associated Press that Yemeni prison guards, under the supervision of Emirati officers, use various methods of sexual torture and humiliation against prisoners. They rape prisoners and film these scenes. They connect electricity to the prisoners' genitals, hang stones from their testicles, or sexually assault them with metal rods and wooden sticks. The UAE is part of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that has intervened since 2015 to support the Yemeni government in the civil war. The UAE has imprisoned hundreds of Yemeni men on suspicion of links to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group in 18 secret prisons, but no charges have been filed against these individuals, and none have been tried so far. The Associated Press first shared severe human rights violations by Emirati military personnel with the US Department of Defense about a year ago. The Pentagon described this evidence as 'shocking' and stated that 'the US takes all allegations of abuse and torture seriously, although we currently do not have reliable information on this matter.' US officials have acknowledged that their forces receive security information from the UAE and participate in interrogations in Yemeni prisons. However, a Pentagon spokesperson stated that they are not willing to comment on intelligence cooperation with allied countries. The US government supports the Saudi-led military coalition with billions of dollars in arms and has intelligence and security cooperation with the UAE. In response to the Associated Press report, the US State Department emphasized that it has asked the UAE government to investigate this matter. The State Department stated, 'We call on all parties involved in this war, including the UAE, to treat prisoners humanely and ensure that thorough and prompt investigations are conducted into all allegations of abuse and torture.' Emirati officials declined to comment on this matter, but the UAE's mission to the United Nations in Geneva claimed in a statement that the prisons in Yemen are under the complete control of the Yemeni government. Part of this statement reads, 'The UAE has never been responsible for managing prisons in Yemen and has no secret detention facilities.' This is while the Yemeni interior minister has stated that he has no authority over the management of prisons and must obtain permission from the UAE to enter Aden, where witnesses say the most instances of sexual torture in its prison have occurred.