UN rights office: UAE troops tortured, abused Yemenis

By Bayram Altug

GENEVA (AA) - A number of Yemeni detainees have been subjected to ill-treatment, torture and sexual abuse by United Arab Emirates (UAE) soldiers, the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva said on Tuesday .

"We have engaged with U.A.E. government on this issue and requested access to U.A.E.-run prisons in the country but to date we have not been granted access," Liz Throssell, UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman told Anadolu Agency.

"From the initial information that our office in Yemen has managed to gather, we have reason to believe that a number of Yemeni detainees have been subjected to ill-treatment, torture and sexual abuse by U.A.E. soldiers," she said.

The UN Human Rights Office is continuing to monitor the situation with a view to deciding what follow-up steps are needed, she added.