NIHR's delegation visits Women's Reformation Centre in Isa Town

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) said that it had carried out two announced visits to the Women's Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Isa Town, the last of which was on Sunday, September 30, as part of its duties and legal mandate to follow up on the situation of human rights in the kingdom.

The NIHR said that it had carried out the visits in response to reports by some media outlets and social media networks, and complaints by a number of international organisations indicating allegations of the violation of the rights of three out 205 inmates in the Women's Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Isa Town regarding health care, practice of religious rituals and other rights related to visits and telephone calls.

In a statement, the NIHR affirmed that its delegation to the centre had been informed about the health, telephone calls, visits, and the disciplinary measures files of the inmates, as well as the verdicts issued against them, "transparently and independently". 

The NIHR’s delegation received detailed answers to their questions, in addition to audio and visual recordings, regarding the allegations, met the inmates to hear their statements and verify the validity of the allegations, stressing that they met each inmate separately and without the presence of any officials.

The delegation found out that the allegations of not allowing the inmates to perform religious rituals were not true, and contrary to reality, as they were allowed to practise the religious rites in accordance with the procedures in force in the centre to ensure security and safety of the reformation facility’s officials and inmates, noting that the centre’s visual records watched by the delegation showed that other female inmates were practising religious rituals freely.

As for the allegations that one of the inmates was subjected to ill-treatment by the Centre's officials on September 16, the NIHR's delegation was informed about the video records of the treatment of that detainee by the Centre’s officials, and concluded that the treatment was within the limits of the legal use of the force, in order to ensure her safety and prevent her from causing harm to herself or others.

The NIHR’s delegation also reviewed the visits and communications system and the additional privileges of which the inmates claimed they were deprived, and found out that the system in force was in accordance with the executive regulations of the Centre’s administration, and that the basic rights of visits and communications were granted according to the system without any deprivation or arbitrariness.

The NIHR, in its statement, also said that the delegation had received some remarks from the inmates during its meetings with them regarding health care and daily life, and submitted them directly to the relevant authority at the centre soon after the separate meetings.

The delegation also urged the inmates to effectively cooperate with the Centre's administration in order to promote the cultural and social advancement in the process of reform and rehabilitation, and to respect the centre’s rules so as to be able to take full advantage of the social, cultural and rehabilitation programmes, noting that while their presence at the centre necessitates their full enjoyment of their rights, they must also carry out their duties. 

The delegation also urged the inmates to contact the National Institution for Human Rights directly via the hotline 80001144 or through the personal presence of their representatives, which will enable the NIHR to carry out its assigned role according to a professional method within the relevant regulations and decisions.