More than 4000 inmates of Alwathba’s prison are in direct danger of contracting COVID19 as one inmate tested positive last week. The infected inmate resides in ward 4B with more than 140 others sharing 24 rooms and 8 toilets. Sharing such facilities would put the total residents of ward 4B in direct danger as it not possible to do required social distancing in such situation
The case who has contracted COVID19 was tested last Thursday, 16th April 2020. the prison’s authority has put the ward on complete lockdown no one could leave the ward, and the situation inside the ward is no known so far. moreover, the presence of shared distribution area where all inmates pass through would increases the danger of the remaining inmates in the other wards.
Furthermore, Human Rights Watch, in one of its reports, revealed that there are prisoners infected with AIDS inside Al-Wathba Prison and they are not getting medical care necessary for their critical medical conditions. Moreover, we have previously documented the inhumane conditions experienced by al-Wathba Prison inmates in both male and female.
We, therefore, emphasize that the Emirati authorities must take all procedures necessary for protecting all inmates from contracting COVID19 as well as other diseases. We also emphasize that the danger is not limited to the inmates, yet it extends to all those who are dealing with them like the officials, personnel and visitors.
Accordingly, we demand from the authorities responsible of the prisons to:
1) Provide full medical care for those currently infected and take necessary isolation procedures.
2) Completely sanitize the prisons facility.
3) Reduce the number of prisoners to a limit that allows doing isolation procedures and social distancing which could be achieved by releasing and pardoning prisoners in cases of misdemeanors in financial issues in addition to those who spent half their sentences in other cases.
4) Provide sanitizers and personal hygienic materials in accordance with the standards of the WHO and in consistence with UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules).
5) Put new prisoners under examination and isolation once they arrive to make sure they are not infected with the virus.
6) Avoid moving the prisoners from one punitive facility to another.
7) Provide psychological support for prisoners so that they do not panic.
WE RECORD TEAM
Friday, April 24, 2020