Israeli and Emirati Prisons: Shared Stories of Oppression and Brutality

A prominent Emirati human rights activist has highlighted the striking similarities between Israeli and Emirati prisons, citing shared stories of oppression, brutality, and systematic violations of international human rights laws.

Hamad Al-Shamsi, executive director of the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center (EDAC), stated that Israeli prisons are no different from those in the UAE in terms of human rights abuses and prolonged enforced disappearances of detainees.

His remarks came in response to the recent release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of an ongoing exchange deal, some of whom had been imprisoned for over two decades.

Al-Shamsi posted on his X account: “A girl who has not seen her father since she was a child. A detainee forced to leave his pregnant wife, only to see his son for the first time after ten years. An elderly mother passes away without her son being allowed a final farewell because he is detained. A sick detainee in need of treatment left to face his fate alone by the occupation.”

He continued, “These heartbreaking stories come from occupied Palestine, but sadly, we have similar ones in the UAE.”

Al-Shamsi questioned, “Did anyone ever imagine seeing Emiratis suffer the same oppression that Palestinians endure under occupation? Did we ever think injustice could reach this level?”

Systematic Torture in Emirati Prisons

The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center has repeatedly confirmed that torture is a defining feature of UAE prisons. International human rights organizations continue to receive distressing reports from political detainees detailing severe abuse and mistreatment by Emirati authorities.

According to EDAC, torture methods in Emirati prisons mirror those used in some of the world’s most notorious detention centers. Documented techniques include:

Extreme Temperature Exposure

• • Prisoners are subjected to unbearable temperatures as a form of punishment. Some are locked in freezing solitary confinement cells and forced to stand under air conditioners for hours without clothing.

• • Others endure the opposite: suffocating desert heat, with air conditioning deliberately turned off, particularly in Al-Razeen Prison.

• • Former detainee Amina Al-Abdouli testified that an officer shut off the AC in a transport vehicle, causing her to suffer severe distress.

Sleep Deprivation

• • One of the most common torture methods used to break detainees mentally and physically.

• • Prisoners are kept awake for days, exposed to constant bright lights and loud noises.

• • Libyan businessman Rifaat Hadaqa reported being deprived of sleep for over three days, with guards confiscating his bedding and punishing him for attempting to rest on the floor.

Bright Lights and Blaring Propaganda

• • High-intensity lights and nonstop blaring music are employed to create psychological distress.

• • At Al-Razeen Prison, loud propaganda music plays around the clock, leading to severe anxiety among detainees.

• • Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken reportedly fainted due to the extreme psychological pressure, which also led to a dangerous rise in his blood pressure.

Forced Standing for Long Periods

• • Prisoners are forced to stand for extended periods, causing chronic pain and circulatory issues.

• • Those who attempt to sit down are met with violent beatings. Ibrahim Al-Marzouqi was among those subjected to this form of torture.

Beatings and Targeted Violence

• • Beatings focus on sensitive areas of the body to maximize suffering.

• • Amina Al-Abdouli reported severe facial beatings that led to vision impairment and dental damage.

• • Khalifa Al-Nuaimi detailed being interrogated multiple times daily, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.

Psychological Torture and Death Threats

• • Detainees face psychological torment, from threats of deportation to threats of execution.

• • Amina Al-Abdouli was told by a prison officer that poison could be slipped into her medication, leaving her in constant fear for her life.

Electric Shocks

• • Electrocution is one of the most excruciating torture methods reported.

• • Palestinian refugee Khaled Ahmed confirmed experiencing repeated electric shocks during interrogations.

• • Libyan businessman Rifaat Hadaqa described seeing electric chairs in interrogation rooms, used both as threats and as tools of torture.

Sexual Assault and Humiliation

• • Detainees face sexual violence and threats as a means of breaking their will.

• • European detainees, such as Polish national Tour Ligiska, reported being raped by prison guards.

• • British businessman David Haigh disclosed that he was subjected to gang rape by multiple guards.

Nail Removal

• • One of the most harrowing forms of torture, involving the forcible removal of detainees’ fingernails.

• • Dr. Ahmed Al-Zaabi reported this practice to the UAE’s public prosecutor.

Direct Beatings and Degradation

• • Physical beatings remain a primary torture method, with detainees struck with hard objects such as water pipes.

• • Ibrahim Al-Marzouqi detailed how prisoners were humiliated by being forced to drink water from their own shoes.

Breaking the Will of Detainees

These brutal techniques are designed to force detainees into confessing to crimes they did not commit. The Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center remains committed to documenting these abuses, exposing the UAE’s systematic torture practices, and advocating for human rights protections.

The similarities between Israeli and Emirati prisons reveal a disturbing reality: a shared legacy of oppression, where political prisoners are subjected to unrelenting brutality in direct violation of international human rights laws.