In a disturbing exposé, the BBC has uncovered a network of secret prisons operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its allied forces in Yemen’s civil war. The findings, corroborated by human rights groups and former detainees, paint a harrowing picture of arbitrary detention, torture, and abuse.
The investigation gained access to detention facilities on former UAE military bases in southern Yemen, where journalists witnessed squalid conditions and heard chilling accounts from ex-prisoners. One former detainee recounted being beaten for three days, sexually abused, and threatened with being sent to the notorious Guantanamo Bay.
Testimony gathered independently and during the government-led site visits reveals a disturbing pattern of mistreatment. Detainees were held in cramped shipping containers with little ventilation, forced to remain seated upright at all times, and denied basic necessities like adequate food and access to toilets. Some reported being electrocuted, doused with ice-cold water, and subjected to “all types of torture” during interrogations.
The Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has acknowledged the existence of these clandestine facilities, with Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani admitting that “we didn’t believe it was true” until they liberated the prisons. However, families of detainees argue that the government must have been aware of the UAE’s activities, as it would have been impossible to operate such a network without their knowledge.
The revelations come amidst a widening rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose long-strained relationship has deteriorated in recent months. The UAE’s withdrawal from Yemen in early January allowed government forces and their allies to retake control of the south, including the port city of Mukalla where some of the secret prisons were located.
While the Yemeni government has ordered the closure of all “illegal” prisons in the region, concerns remain that arbitrary detention and abuse may simply continue under different control. Relatives of detainees, including the mother of an athlete who was allegedly tortured, are demanding justice and the release of their loved ones, who they insist are not terrorists.
This investigation sheds light on the dark underbelly of the Yemen conflict, where all sides have been accused of human rights violations. The exposure of these secret prisons serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability and the protection of human rights, even in the midst of a devastating civil war.
