Inside Saudi Arabia's ‘hellish' secret prisons for women banished by their cruel husbands to be flogged into ‘obedience'
Several women inmates at the grim jailhouses spoke out about being sent to punishment facilities for "not obeying" sexual abuse at home.
3
3
3
They are reportedly locked away in isolation cells until they "reconcile" with their cruel abusers.
Other harrowing details of the prisons' conditions continue to plague its dreaded reputation.
Documented cases show evidence of abuse and neglect, malnutrition, poor health and hygiene, and mistreatment and brutality, according to rights group ALQST.
They also accused Dar al-Re'aya prisons of excessive use of solitary confinement and denigration of their inmates.
Several cases of suicide attempts in recent years have also been reported
The name of the jails, Dar al-Re'aya, literally translates to "care homes".
A campaigner fighting to abolish the brutal homes, Sarah Al-Yahia, told the Guardian that her dad threatened to send her to one of the facilities as a child "if I didn't obey his sexual abuse".
She bravely explained: "If you are sexually abused or get pregnant by your brother or father you are the one sent to Dar al-Re'aya to protect the family's reputation."
She added that often women are put between the impossible choice of enduring horrific abuse at home or living in gruelling conditions inside the camp.
The care homes have existed since the 1960s and were initially presented as a rehabilitative "shelter" for women accused or convicted of certain crimes.
Inside the hellish prison dubbed 'Indonesia's Alcatraz' which executes death row inmates with a firing squad
The infamous cells house women between the ages of just seven years old and 30.
But women's rights groups today warn that the notorious prisons serve mainly as detention facilities for young girls and women.
And these female inmates are accused of having "become delinquent or have been accused by their male guardians of disobedience".
Another Saudi women who fled into exile said that these jails are well-known across the country.
She said: "It's like hell.
"I tried to end my life when I found out I was going to be taken to one.
She added: "I knew what happened to women there and thought 'I can't survive it.''
The 38-year-old said that inmates are subject to strip searches and even virginity tests on arrival.
They are also given sedatives to put them to sleep.
Inmates are also addressed by numbers, not names, the exile woman said.
Women's Aid
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
Always keep your phone nearby.
Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women's Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
If you are in danger, call 999.
Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing '55'.
Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity's email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women's Aid provides a live chat service - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
She recalled that one woman was lashed for shared her family name instead of her number.
"If she doesn't pray, she gets lashes. If she is found alone with another woman she gets lashes and is accused of being a lesbian," she explained.
"The guards gather and watch when the girls are being lashed."
Chilling footage also showed the moment a female inmate appeared to try and escape the hellish cells.
They desperately climbed up onto the roof in order to get out of the prisons.
In 2015, a woman was found to have hanged herself from the ceiling of her room at one of the Dar al-Re'aya prisons.
She left behind a written note saying: "I decided to die to escape hell."
A staff member at another shelter was quoted as having said that children suffer the worst kind of psychological and physical torture.
According to Arab News, they said: "With my own eyes I saw a worker beating on a child not more than 13 years of age."
Women have also reportedly been killed shortly after their release.
One woman also told the Guardian that she was taken to Dar al-Re'aya after complaining about her dads and brothers.
She was then allegedly abused at the prison and accused of bringing shame upon her family for her social media posts touting women's rights.
She was held in the institution until her dad agreed she could be released - despite him being the alleged abuser.
Girls and women can only be released from Dar al-Re'aya into the custody of a male relative, ALQST reported.
Women have previously been described being made to stand for six hours in one sitting as a punishment for disobedience.
Data is rarely released about the facilities.
In 2016, there were reportedly 233 girls and women held in seven facilities across the Arab kingdom.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
19 minutes ago
- Sky News
Authoritarian states operating with impunity to silence dissidents in UK, report finds
Authoritarian states are operating with impunity in attempts to silence dissidents on UK soil - and the government needs to take urgent action, parliamentarians have warned. Transnational repression has increased in recent years, with foreign states using online harassment, lawsuits, surveillance and physical violence to intimidate people in the UK, a report published on Wednesday by the Joint Committee on Human Rights said. There has been a 48% increase in MI5 investigations into threats from other states in the UK since 2022, the report said. Chairman Lord David Alton warned the rise in threats was "going unchecked" in the UK and said the government "lacks a clear strategy" to address transnational repression (TNR). He said: "This risks undermining the UK's ability to protect the human rights of its citizens and those who have sought safety within its borders. "We have seen prominent cases of Hong Kongers with bounties placed on their heads, Iran intimidating journalists - but evidence submitted to the inquiry suggests this may be the tip of the iceberg." Amnesty International called the report "damning" and said it shows the UK has become a "hunting ground" for authoritarian regimes. The committee called on the government to adopt a formal definition of TNR, a dedicated reporting mechanism for victims, data collection, specialised police training and to work with "like-minded states" to coordinate international action against authoritarian regimes using TNR. The cross-party committee said the government is not doing enough to help victims and should develop a "proactive outreach strategy" aimed at individuals and communities at risk of TNR within 12 months. It said strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) - aimed at exhausting a defendant financially and psychologically - are increasingly being used to "intimidate and silence" people, especially journalists, who expose or criticise authoritarian regimes. The MPs and Lords called on the government to expand protections for defendants in SLAPP cases where it is used as a TNR tool, as there is currently only protection if it is an economic crime. 1:55 Dozen countries carrying out TNR They said China, Iran and Russia were the "most flagrant" perpetrators of TNR, but they also heard evidence from people being targeted by Bahrain, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The committee also received "substantial" evidence of TNR carried out by the Eritrean government, including being forced to pay a 2% "diaspora tax" and those who refuse "are considered government opponents and face harassment, intimidation and ultimately social isolation", the UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea told the committee. Interpol red notices The committee criticised Interpol "red notices" - international requests for arrest - saying they were being used to harass dissidents and said Interpol has refused to acknowledge there is a problem. Nearly half of the 6,550 current public red notices have been issued at Russia's request "to intimidate and silence journalists, activists, and other critics", the report said. Lord Alton, who is sanctioned by China, said the UK government needs to press Interpol for action on abuse of red notices and introduce a mechanism to alert people they are subject to a red notice, if there is a strong basis to believe it is politically motivated. China and Hong Kong While Iran and Russia are more obvious with their tactics, the committee said China uses a "broad range", including surveillance, online harassment, and threats to family members abroad. It highlighted the Hong Kong government placing bounties on several democracy protesters who have fled to the UK, naming 20-year-old Chloe Cheung. She gave evidence, telling them it has affected her "mentally, emotionally and physically in profound ways that I never expected" and she now carries lots of self-protection devices and her first thought about people who suddenly want to make friends or approach her is they must work for the Chinese government. Ms Cheung, now an advocacy manager for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said it is "important the UK government doesn't just acknowledge this report, but actually acts on it" to help protect dissidents like her. Concern was also raised about unofficial Chinese "police stations" in the UK, used to monitor and pressure the Chinese diaspora, and the proposed Chinese "super embassy", with fears it could serve as a spy base. The committee repeated calls made by MPs last month for China to be placed in the highest tier of the foreign influence registration (FIRS) scheme, saying its omission risked "undermining the credibility and coherence" of the scheme. Russia The report said Russia has engaged in the "most serious forms" of TNR, including direct threat to life - and highlighted the Salisbury nerve agent attack as creating a "chilling effect" among Kremlin critics. Iran Iran represents "one of the highest kidnap and assassination state threats to the UK", with tactics including physical attacks, smear campaigns, hacking, assassination plots, and "cultural centres" as surveillance fronts, the report said. Kerry Moscogiuri, campaign director at Amnesty International, said the government needs to "now act on these recommendations, not just in principle, but in practice". An Interpol spokesperson said: "Every year, thousands of the world's most serious criminals are arrested thanks to Interpol's systems. "Children are saved from sexual exploitation and terrorists, cyber criminals and traffickers are brought to justice. "Interpol knows red notices are powerful tools for law enforcement co-operation, which is why we have robust processes for ensuring that all Interpol notices and diffusions comply with our rules. "Our constitution forbids Interpol from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious or racial character and all our databases and activities must also comply with the universal declaration for human rights." A Home Office spokesperson said: "We take the threat of transnational repression extremely seriously. "Any attempts by a foreign state to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals on UK soil are considered a threat to our national security and sovereignty, and will not be tolerated. "The committee's review echoes many of the same findings and recommendations from the Defending Democracy Taskforce report on TNR, published in May, and we are already taking action arising from those recommendations to further strengthen our response."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: UN says Congo rebels killed scores of farmers, M23 suggests 'smear'
PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) - An M23 rebel attack on farmers and other civilians in east Democratic Republic of Congo killed 169 people earlier this month, a U.N. body told Reuters, in what would be one of the deadliest incidents since the Rwanda-backed group's resurgence. M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters it would investigate but the report could be a "smear campaign". The U.N. rights body's account has not been previously reported and emerged as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration pushes for peace between Congo and Rwanda that it hopes will unlock billions in mineral investments. Reuters has not been able to independently confirm the killings but a local activist cited witnesses as describing M23 combatants using guns and machetes to kill scores of civilians. The M23 and Congolese government have pledged to work towards peace by August 18 after the rebels this year seized more territory than ever before in fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more. According to findings by the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), which monitors Congo, the M23 operation that led to the farmers' killings began on July 9 in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province. It targeted suspected members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based group that includes remnants of Rwanda's former army and militias that carried out the 1994 Rwandan genocide, UNJHRO said. 'Civilians, mainly farmers temporarily camping in their fields for the ploughing season, have been attacked. The human toll has been particularly high: at least 169 people have been killed,' UNJHRO said in findings shared by Reuters. The victims were 'far from any immediate support or protection,' UNJHRO said, citing credible information from several independent sources. In response, M23's Bisimwa said the group had been notified about UNJHRO's findings in a letter and would form a commission to investigate the unconfirmed accusations. "We believe that before imposing sanctions, the facts must first be established by verifying their actual existence through an investigation," he said. "This rush to publish unverified information is propaganda whose purpose is known only to the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office," he said, adding that the allegations could be part of a "smear campaign" by Congolese employees of UNJHRO. UNJHRO is made up of the human rights division of Congo's U.N. peacekeeping mission and the former office of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights in Congo. It has both Congolese and foreign staff members. The activist in Rutshuru, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, told Reuters the M23 combatants killed more than 100 civilians, mostly Congolese Hutu farmers. The victims had initially fled when M23 advanced on the territory, but they returned after M23 promised them safety, the activist said. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said last month that M23, Congo's army and allied militias had all committed abuses in eastern Congo, many of which may amount to war crimes. Rwanda has long denied helping M23 and says its forces act in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, including the FDLR. A report by a group of United Nations experts published this month said Rwanda exercised command and control over M23 and was backing the group in order to conquer territory in east Congo. A government spokesperson said at the time that the report misrepresented Rwanda's security worries related to the FDLR and affiliated groups. The spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, did not respond to a request for comment about UNJHRO's findings. Persistent violence in eastern Congo threatens Trump's vision for the region, which has been plagued by war for decades and is rich in minerals including gold, cobalt, coltan, tungsten and tin. A peace agreement signed on June 27 in Washington by the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers requires Congo to "neutralise" the FDLR as Rwanda withdraws from Congolese territory. Both the Congolese operations against the FDLR and the Rwandan withdrawal were supposed to have started on Sunday, though it is unclear what progress has been made. They have three months to conclude. Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told Reuters the killings in Rutshuru demonstrate that M23 is a destabilising force incapable of bringing security. Kinshasa wants a peace deal that will allow for the restoration of its authority in the region, Muyaya said.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Gaza latest: Nearly 50 Gazans 'killed waiting for aid'; Trump threatens Canada over Palestinian statehood plan
British plan to recognise Palestine 'historic', says ambassador Sir Keir Starmer's intention to recognise a Palestinian state is a "historic, legal and democratic gesture", says the Palestinian ambassador to the UK. "Historic because of the role of Britain in the agony of the Palestinian people since the Balfour Declaration," Husam Zomlot tells Sky News. The Balfour Declaration was a letter sent in 1917 by then-foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour to Jewish community leader Lord Rothschild, expressing support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". Zomlot continues: "Here is our opportunity to say on behalf of the Palestinian people a big, big thank you and gratitude for this solidarity, for this support." 'Starting gun' "This is not, definitely, symbolic," Zomlot adds. "I add, in particular, the moral weight it carries. It does represent a meaningful step in addressing the deep, deep injustice that the Palestinian people have endured for almost a century." It is the "starting gun" in the creation of a Palestinian state, he says. Next, Israeli settlements on Palestinian land must be stopped, he says. International law, sanctions, and accountability must be enforced and upheld in relation to Israel, adds Zomlot. Watch: Starmer's plan to recognise Palestine Asked how the Palestinian Authority can dismantle Hamas in Gaza, he says security is the "fruit of peace", not a precondition. "The one person on earth who blocks, prevents the PA and the Palestinian government from going back to Gaza is Benjamin Netanyahu." 'Our rights will not be undermined' There will be no Hamas in a Palestine unified geographically and politically that can take care of the people of Gaza, he says. "Without resolving and fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international law and legitimacy, security will always be elusive. "No matter how much violence Israel deploys against us, no matter how they mass murder and mass destruction and mass starvation against us, our rights will not be undermined."
