Yemen Monitor / Aden / Exclusive:
Families of detainees in Bir Ahmed Prison in Aden city have reported, in a complaint to the Attorney General Judge Qahir Mustafa, a mass torture operation carried out by the prison administration against prisoners yesterday.
In their complaint filed on Thursday, the families stated that their relatives in (Ward 5) were subjected to a “retaliatory” mass torture operation, warning of the deteriorating health condition of the injured due to the absence of medical care.
The complaint clarified that the incident began after a recent visit by members of the Public Prosecution to the prison; where the prisoners exercised their legal right to explicitly inform the committee of being subjected to beatings and ill-treatment. According to the complaint, the prison director not only denied the allegations but also publicly threatened the prisoners in the presence of the prosecution members, saying they “will pay the price.”
The families confirmed that the administration carried out its threat immediately after the judicial committee left. The ward was raided, and prisoners were severely beaten, resulting in serious injuries, amid a complete denial of first aid or healthcare.
In a related context, human rights activist Huda Al-Sarari, head of the “Defense” Foundation for Rights and Freedoms, described the conditions in Bir Ahmed Prison as “causing extreme concern.”
Al-Sarari emphasized that these testimonies cannot be treated as passing remarks, questioning the role of the “National Committee for Investigating Allegations of Human Rights Violations” in conducting field visits and investigating these incidents.
Al-Sarari pointed out that the continuation of these violations without accountability, including the continued detention of individuals for whom release orders have been issued, recalls “past practices of arbitrary arrest and systematic enforced disappearance.” She stressed that managing the file with this mindset places the judiciary before a historical and moral responsibility.
Bir Ahmed Prison is located in the Al-Buraiqah district, west of the temporary capital, Aden. It has been managed by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council under Emirati supervision since 2015 and is classified among the notorious penal facilities. Organizations have documented incidents of torture and enforced disappearance of opponents and activists within the prison.
