Yemen detainees in UAE-run prison in Aden continue hunger strike

Yemeni detainees held in the UAE-run prison of Bir Ahmed in Aden said they will continue their hunger strike until their demands are met.

New images emerged of the detainees holding banners saying they would continue their hunger strike until death; if their demands for fair trials and to immediately release those who had not been charged are not answered.

The prisoners issued a letter a few days ago saying 18 detainees had fainted as a result of the strike, adding that they hold the criminal prosecution responsible for their lives as it has failed to do its duty towards them.

READ: Methods of torture in Saudi-led coalition prisons in Yemen: Rape using devices, hot pepper, salt and bone smashing

Bir Ahmed prison has been run by the UAE-backed Security Belt militia since it opened more than a year ago.

In June last year, a number of international organisations including Human Rights Watch accused the UAE of operating two secret prisons facilities in Yemen in which detainees were tortured.

An investigation published by the Associated Press stated that men were rounded up in the hunt for members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and have disappeared into a network of secret prisons in southern Yemen. Secret Prisons were established inside military bases, ports and airports, private villas and even inside a nightclub.

A report last month found that dozens of detainees were transferred from a secret prison run by the UAE to another government-run facility in the coastal city of Mukalla.