NCIAVHR Reviews Current Conditions of Al-Shabakah Prison Detainees in Al-Turbah

Taiz (Al-Turbah) | July 17, 2024

Today, the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations of Human Rights (NCIAVHR) reviewed the conditions of the inmates at the Al-Shabakah Prison in the city of Al-Turbah, located in the Al-Shamayatayn district in southern Taiz Governorate. These conditions continue to violate international treaties ratified by Yemen and national laws that guarantee the inherent dignity and value of prisoners as human beings.

During the visit, the Commission’s team inspected the three cramped and dark detention rooms housing (113) detainees and prisoners. They observed the difficulty in applying proper classification and distribution based on the legal status and types of charges or crimes. The inmates have resorted to setting up makeshift tents from plastic and blankets in the small prison yard, due to the absence of adequate health, hygiene, and sanitation services.

The team listened to explanations from the prison director, Major Mohammed Al-Zubairi, who called on the relevant authorities to consider the conditions and rights of the Al-Shabakah Prison inmates and to improve their situation, particularly given the availability of a suitable space near the old building that could serve as a model correctional facility.

The team also heard complaints from several detainees about prolonged legal procedures, despite recent improvements in case progress. Many inmates complained about the insufficient food and meals provided to them and their continued inhumane conditions in the dilapidated building, especially during the summer season, which is currently experiencing rain, thunder, and lightning.

Simultaneously, during their visit to Al-Turbah, Commission member Judge Ishraq Al-Maqtari and field researchers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met with the director of the ICRC office in Taiz and the western coast of Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, as well as the deputy head of the protection department at the ICRC office in the interim capital, Aden, in addition to the protection delegate in the Al-Turbah office.

The meeting discussed the conditions of prisons in Yemeni governorates visited by the Commission and the expected role of the Red Cross, particularly the components of the protection department and their interventions related to detainees held in connection with the war and their communication with their families. Additionally, it addressed the cooperation between the Commission and the ICRC office in Aden in the fields of training, capacity building, and raising awareness about international humanitarian law.