Emirates Human Rights Association casts doubt on negative reports on UAE

Reports about torture of detainees in UAE were preposterous, a top UAE human rights activist said.

"I have deep doubts about the negative reports raised by representatives of human rights organisations visiting the UAE from time to time as most of these reports were far from reality, particularly those parts indicating that detained activists were subject to torture, verbal abuse and mistreatment at the hands of UAE security services," said Abdul Ghafar Hussein, Chairman of the Emirates Human Rights Association (EHRA), at a press conference.
Ala'a Shalaby, Secretary General of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR), and other top human rights activists from Syria and Kuwait, were present.

"I told the AOHR members that physical torture has no place and will not have in the ethics of Emiratis, be state officials or ordinary nationals," he added.

Dr. Abdul Rahim Al Awadi of the UAE Foreign Ministry, who attended a dinner banquet the EHRA hosted in honour of the Arab human rights advocates, said the detainees were under supervision and the custody of the federal public prosecution in Abu Dhabi and not detained by security apparatus.

He said that the judiciary will not allow mistreatment of any suspect.

"When the EHRA requested the UAE authorities for a permission to visit and meet those in detention, they immediately responded to our request. And two members of the  EHRA have visited them and closely inspected their conditions. At the same day, four detainees were visited. The fact is that what we already believed is true and that any mistreatment and torture was out of the question.The detainees told us during these interviews that they had experienced no torture or abuse and they received good treatment," he indicated.

Hussein added that some of the detainees said that reports published by social media platforms about their alleged torture were "unbelievable".

He continued: "To be more certain and assure of these facts, we requested a second visit to other different detainees. Our request was answered and Mr. Khaled Al Hosani, EHRA Secretary General, joined the EHRA team and met other six detainees who said that they had not been subjected to any torture or mistreatment and that they had been treated well."

The EHRA chief said that the EHRA team had noticed that the room of a detainee is clean, air-conditioned, and has a TV set. Detainees are served food from Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company, a five-star catering and hospitality provider, and receive very good medical care.

They are also allowed to contact their family members twice a week.

Hussein said that detainees were worried about the long time they could spend before standing trial, but he explained that the EHRA had learned that the public prosecution was finalising their investigation so as to present to the court what they believe accurate and right.

"We have learnt from the authorities concerned that EHRA members are welcome to visit the detainees at any time. We are very pleased to know that all detainees are treated on an equal footing without prejudice though one of them Is a member of one of the ruling families.

On the advent of the glorious Eid Al Adha, the EHRA head called on the UAE authorities to set free all those found not involved in any act that insults the country or poses its security and safety to danger.

Abdul Ghafar Hussein said that the detained had expressed their appreciation for the gift of about Dh50,000 they had received from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Hussein revealed that some of the detained breadwinners said their families were in need of more money and their requests were also answered.

"The gift was an initiative of the President and underscores the care of both leadership and officials," he told the media.

"We knew about the gift from the detainees themselves... it is from the President to his children," he said.

Answering questions about reports from some international human rights organisations, Hussein pointed to the visit of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR) delegation to the UAE and their meeting with the detainees.

"The door is open to whoever comes from any human rights group to enquire about the said detainees or others," he said.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.