NCIAVHR Visits the Central Prison in Seiyun and Inspects Facilities of the First Military Region

Seiyun | 22 January 2026

Today, the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations of Human Rights (NCIAVHR) carried out a field visit to the Central Prison in the city of Seiyun, as part of its on-the-ground work program across the districts of Hadramout Governorate (the Coast, the Valley, and the Desert).

The visit began with a meeting with the Director of the Central Prison, First Lieutenant Ali Salem bin Dahri, who underscored the importance of the Commission’s field visits for improving the conditions of prisoners and detainees and strengthening compliance with national laws that guarantee their rights. He noted that the prison administration is making considerable efforts to meet the needs of inmates, despite the limited financial allocations approved for the facility.

During the visit, Commission members Judge Mohammed Tulyan, Judge Nasser Al-Awthali, and Judge Ishraq Al-Muqtari toured the prison’s sections and cellblocks, which house 380 prisoners and detainees. They listened to randomly selected inmates and documented their legal status, as well as grievances related to delays in judicial procedures, slow handling of cases by the Public Prosecution and courts, and repeated postponement of hearings. The Commission also met with several cases requiring medical and psychological intervention, given the absence of a specialized health facility within the prison.

The visit further included the women’s section of the Central Prison, where the Commission heard observations from female police officers and met with female prisoners and detainees—seven in total—some accompanied by their children. Their demands focused on access to legal assistance, expedited judicial proceedings, and meeting health needs and personal hygiene requirements.

Separately, members of the Commission visited and inspected facilities of the First Military Region, where they received briefings from those in charge regarding the measures in place related to freedom of opinion and expression, as well as social and civil rights in connection with recent developments.

The Commission affirmed that these visits fall within its legal mandate to monitor and assess detention conditions, verify compliance with national and international human rights standards, document any observations or allegations, and take the necessary legal steps, including submitting relevant recommendations to the competent authorities.