7DAYS, United Arab Emirates
May 5 2008
Beaten prisoner testifies
Last Updated : Monday 05 May, 2008 –
By Ali Al-Shouk
A prisoner at Dubai Central Jail has testified in court that he was
viciously beaten by masked prison guards and police officers during a
search of his cell. Another prisoner was attacked so brutally during
the searches that he was left with a permanent disability, the court
heard. Twenty five guards and officers are on trial accused of beating
prisoners and using excessive force during a routine search of the Al
Aweer jail last August.
The Egyptian prisoner at first refused to testify in court yesterday
against the prison wardens and police officers – only doing so after a
judge warned him he could face further punishment if he didn’t speak
up. Visibly shaken, he then looked around the packed court and pointed
to two of his alleged attackers.
`Those are the men who beat me,’ he told the judge, pointing at the
defendants. The victim went on to claim that the prison wardens had
severely beaten him before forcing him to lie face down on the floor,
and then while standing on his back ordering him to crawl. `I couldn’t
move and they kept yelling at me and beat me badly,’ the prisoner
said. `I also heard that they had thrown a man down the stairs,
causing him many bad and serious injuries.’
According to court records, an Armenian prisoner, who was left
permanently disabled by the attack, said he was woken up by loud
voices and saw masked men dragging prisoners around. `We were beaten
by men in black masks as we ran through the alleyway to the outside
prison yard. Some of the wardens assaulted us violently,’ he said.
A Dubai police major who investigated the allegations said that
digital recordings showed wardens and anti-riot police taking the
prisoners out of their cells and beating them. The trial is
continuing.
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