The UAE authorities have suspended payments of pensions to retiree inmates at Al-Razeen prison, according to the Geneva-based International Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ICJHR).
This arbitrary measure not only impacts the detainees but also affects their families, who will be deprived of a fixed income that covers their needs and guarantees them a decent standard of living, the center said.
Holding mainly political prisoners, Al-Razeen prison is a maximum-security facility often referred to as the Guantanamo of the UAE due to its repressive conditions and poor treatment of inmates.
Contrary to what is stated by Emirati authorities, the prison conditions are poor, and breaches of human rights, such as torture and ill-treatment, are systematic.
ICFUAE Statement
This decision is yet another example of how the Emirati authorities practice collective punishment upon the families of political prisoners in the UAE. It is callous and cold move, designed solely to further dissuade people from speaking out about human rights in the country. Not only should the retirement payments be restored in full, but the Emirati authorities must release all those detained merely for exercising their basic right to freedom of speech and expression.