The BBC has been given access to detention facilities on former United Arab Emirates military bases in Yemen, confirming long-standing allegations of a network of secret prisons run by the UAE and forces allied to it in Yemen's decade-long civil war.
One former detainee told the BBC he had been beaten and sexually abused at one of the sites. We saw cells at two bases in the south of the country, including shipping containers with names - apparently of detainees - and dates scratched into the sides.
The UAE did not respond to our request for comment, but has previously denied similar allegations. Until recently, the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, was allied with the UAE against the Houthi rebel movement which controls north-west Yemen. However, this alliance has fractured, with UAE forces recently withdrawing from Yemen.
At one site, there were about 10 shipping containers, their interiors painted black, with little ventilation. Messages on the walls appeared to mark the dates detainees said they were brought in, with some dated as recently as December 2025. Another military base contained eight cells built from brick and cement, some utilized for solitary confinement.
Human rights groups have long reported a network of such facilities. Yemeni lawyer Huda al-Sarari has documented accounts from numerous detainees and families of those still missing. Reports reveal these shipping containers holding up to 60 men at a time, denied basic human rights and forced to endure torture.
One detainee described the inhumane conditions: There was no space to lie down. If someone collapsed, the others had to hold him up. He recounted being beaten for days and coerced into false confessions.
The UAE's role in the Yemeni conflict has resulted in widespread horror, with family members sharing stories of missing loved ones whose whereabouts remain unknown. Many families believe the regime was aware of the abuses occurring at these detention centers, leading to calls for accountability. As the political landscape in Yemen continues to shift, leaders now face the complex situation of addressing these human rights violations while managing ongoing political strife.
One former detainee told the BBC he had been beaten and sexually abused at one of the sites. We saw cells at two bases in the south of the country, including shipping containers with names - apparently of detainees - and dates scratched into the sides.
The UAE did not respond to our request for comment, but has previously denied similar allegations. Until recently, the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, was allied with the UAE against the Houthi rebel movement which controls north-west Yemen. However, this alliance has fractured, with UAE forces recently withdrawing from Yemen.
At one site, there were about 10 shipping containers, their interiors painted black, with little ventilation. Messages on the walls appeared to mark the dates detainees said they were brought in, with some dated as recently as December 2025. Another military base contained eight cells built from brick and cement, some utilized for solitary confinement.
Human rights groups have long reported a network of such facilities. Yemeni lawyer Huda al-Sarari has documented accounts from numerous detainees and families of those still missing. Reports reveal these shipping containers holding up to 60 men at a time, denied basic human rights and forced to endure torture.
One detainee described the inhumane conditions: There was no space to lie down. If someone collapsed, the others had to hold him up. He recounted being beaten for days and coerced into false confessions.
The UAE's role in the Yemeni conflict has resulted in widespread horror, with family members sharing stories of missing loved ones whose whereabouts remain unknown. Many families believe the regime was aware of the abuses occurring at these detention centers, leading to calls for accountability. As the political landscape in Yemen continues to shift, leaders now face the complex situation of addressing these human rights violations while managing ongoing political strife.
