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May 29, 2016
middleeastmonitor.com
G4S to check for human rights violations in UAE operations
G4S yesterday committed to look into its contracts with the UAE justice
department to ensure it was in no way involved in torture or ill-treatment of
detainees, the International Campaign for Freedom in the UAE (ICFUAE) said.
Speaking at the company’s AGM yesterday, G4S CEO Ashley Almanza
initially responded that the company was satisfied that its activities in the
“UAE were legitimate and lawful”. However, after ICFUAE discussed issues
relating to ongoing cases of mistreatment in Emirati jails, Almanza said he would investigate whether the company was
in any way involved in such activity. He added that the company was
responsible for its services and could not guarantee what others did. G4S’s
is involved in justice services including the police in the UAE. The UAE G4S
website says that the company is “effectively managing and caring for the
offender population and preparing them for their future in society.” With
very little specificity about the contracts that G4S are involved in in the UAE. The Emirati justice system and the police
have been widely criticised by international bodies
from the UN through to NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch. A UN report issued in February 2015 raised serious concerns about the
UAE justice system. The Special Rapporteur reported
a number of cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees in prisons. It
said more than 200 cases of torture had been reported to the courts in the
UAE.
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