The BBC has been given access to detention facilities on former United Arab Emirates military bases in Yemen, confirming long-standing allegations of a network of secret prisons run by the UAE and forces allied to it in Yemen's decade-long civil war.
One former detainee told the BBC he had been beaten and sexually abused at one of the sites. We saw cells at two bases in the south of the country, including shipping containers with names - apparently of detainees - and dates scratched into the sides.
The UAE did not respond to our request for comment but has previously denied similar allegations. Until recently, the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, was allied with the UAE against the Houthi rebel movement which controls north-west Yemen. However, the alliance has fractured, leading to the retaking of significant territories.
In a troubling narrative, families have recounted the experiences of their loved ones detained in these unofficial prisons. A mother shared the heart-wrenching story of her son, an athlete abducted shortly after returning from abroad, who has been missing for nine years. She alleged severe torture and abuse in the prison.
As investigations continue, human rights organizations emphasize that thousands have been wrongfully detained, and witnesses have provided harrowing accounts. Reports indicate that detainees are often subjected to extreme conditions, such as being packed into small, confined spaces.
The Yemeni government has now ordered the closure of these illegal prisons, but families express skepticism about the release of detainees, fearing that ongoing arbitrary detentions may simply continue under a different guise.
