UAE beat foreign prisoners and gave them electric shocks, evidence shows

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have subjected foreign nationals in secret detention to electric shocks, beatings and other abuses, according to evidence shared with the Guardian by multiple sources within the country.

The evidence depicts a variety of brutal techniques employed by UAE interrogators on several foreign nationals, including two Americans, a Canadian and two Libyans, detained since August 2014, most of the time without charge. According to sources in the UAE, each of the prisoners suffered severe beatings, sometimes with rods, sometimes in what was called a “boxing ring”, and sometimes while suspended from a chain.

Other techniques described include electric shocks, prying off fingernails, pouring insects on to the inmates, dousing prisoners with cold water in front of a fan, sleep deprivation for up to 20 days, threats of rape and sexual harassment, and, in two cases, sexual abuse.

The evidence from several sources, shared on condition of anonymity, follows previous claims of torture by family members of the prisoners.

In a statement, the UAE’s embassy in Washington DC did not directly respond to the allegations of torture, but asserted: “The individuals in question are entitled to all of the due process guarantees under the constitution and laws of the United Arab Emirates in accordance with international fair trial standards.”

“During the period of detention they were allowed to contact their lawyers, diplomatic representatives and families,” it continued. Embassy personnel declined further comment “since the case is ongoing”.

The latest allegations echo interviews with detainees’ family members, and separately acquired documents.

In a report obtained through Canada’s access of information act, for instance, consular officials documented visible injuries on 46-year-old Salim Alaradi, a Canadian-Libyan citizen, when they visited him. The report, from December 2014, details “visible bruises about two inches in diameter on his left arm and leg”.

Alaradi’s brother, Mohamad, was also detained without charge that year but eventually released. Last year he told the Guardian that authorities used “an electric chair”, a “machine” tied to his nails, sleep deprivation and beatings during interrogations.