invesGgaGve journalists and lawyers represenGng some of those on death row in the UAE to gather further informaGon. Loca1on of Imprisonment In terms of the locaGon of imprisonment, our research found there are mulGple places in the United Arab Emirates where people sentenced to death are held. Many prisoners sentenced to death are imprisoned in al-Wathba prison, outside Abu Dhabi, where there is a specific area for those with death sentences. The complex, overseen by the Ministry of Interior, is split into four main buildings, three of which are for men and one is for women. Several other people sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates are held in Sharjah Central Prison or Ras Al Khaimah Central Prison. There may also be other locaGons where people with death sentences are imprisoned. Abuse and Torture Despite recent legal reforms to curb torture, there is reported use of torture both in advance of sentencing to extract confessions and following convictions20. In Ezur Gangadharan’s case, mentioned above, an Indian man is believed to have been tortured by UAE police in order to extract a false confession21. There are reports of routine abuse in certain prisons, with some saying that guards claim to be able to erase security camera footage22. One form of degrading treatment is prolonged solitary confinement. In al-Wathba, there are eight wards for solitary confinement distributed throughout the complex. Those imprisoned for political matters are often held in these wards, isolated from the rest of the population23. Solitary confinement is imposed as a form of punishment in response to alleged wrongdoing such as fights or refusals to undress for searches. The solitary cells are in the ‘rehabilitation building’, which is located on two floors. Each floor has nine cells that lack light and contain dirty toilets. Time spent in solitary confinement ranges from one week to six months and is determined by the reason for ‘punishment’. Although the cell is intended for one person, sometimes three or four people are held at a time. In addition to solitary confinement, al-Wathba also has eight separate punitive solitary wards, each with eight rooms. One of these wards is known as ‘The Hole’ because no one can hear the people held in it. These wards are similar to regular ones in the prison except they are limited to three people. It is possible those sentenced to death are held in this area, as the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre notes the guards transfer ‘the worst types of detainees, including rapists, murderers and drug addicts’ to punitive solitary wards. Humiliation, abuse, and rape routinely occurs in these wards. In addition to solitary confinement, other forms of 20 United States Department of State, hEps://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/313615_UNITEDARAB-EMIRATES-2021-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf. 21 The Na@onal News, UAE, hEps://www.thena@onalnews.com/uae/court-upholds-death-sentence-for-janitorwho-raped-schoolgirl-1.45474. 22 United States Department of State, hEps://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rightsprac@ces/united-arab-emirates/. 23 Emirates Detainees Advocacy Centre, hEps://en.edacrights.com/post/204.