NIHR Council of Commissioners Visit Correction, Rehabilitation and Pretrial Detention Centres during Ashura
A delegation from the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) Council of Commissioners, chaired by Eng. Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, was briefed on the organisational measures that have been taken in the correction and rehabilitation centres to enable prisoners to practice their religious rites in Ashura in a manner that does not prejudice the security and safety the inmates or harm or infringe the freedom and privacy of other inmates of other religions and sects in practicing their rituals.
This came during declared field visits to the Correction and Rehabilitation Centre in Jaw and the Pretrial Detention Centre in the Dry Dock, which lasted for several days, and verified the revival of Ashura ceremonies in the correction and rehabilitation centres smoothly and freely.
At the beginning of the visit, the NIHR’s delegation held extensive meetings with those in charge of the centres, where the administration provided a briefing on the administrative services and the organisational measures that were taken in this regard. Then, the delegation toured a number of buildings and their wards to inspect the place, its facilities and the administrative and support service provided in it. The delegation met with a number of prisoners, who were randomly selected, listened to them and their observations about their living conditions in the centres in general and the extent of their enjoyment of the freedom to practice their religious rites in particular, and verified their health conditions and the treatment they receive.
The NIHR’s delegation was also briefed on the facilities provided by the administration of the centres, which enabled the inmates to perform their religious rights comfortably in all the buildings their visited in a timely manner and in accordance with the controls set by the Law on Correction and Rehabilitation Institution and its By-Laws and accessed the recordings of the security cameras in the buildings that showed the same thing naturally.
The visit by NIHR’s delegation concluded that the freedom to practice religious rites and perform worship for the inmates is guaranteed, as the management of the centres provided a designated place with sufficient space for performing worship and practicing religious rites collectively that commensurate with the number of inmates, while signs and written slogans for these rites were placed in the same place, with the availability of television to transmit religious feelings, in addition to books and religious supplies for practicing various acts of worship. In addition, places were provided for the revival of the Hussainiya halls, with the presence of preachers to commemorate Ashura by the prisoners concerned.
At the end of the visit, Eng. Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, Chairman of the NIHR, stated that the visits conducted by NIHR delegation are based on the human rights and oversight role of the NIHR in accordance with its powers confirmed by its Establishment Law, to inspect the conditions of inmates and ensure the extent to which they enjoy their prescribed tights in accordance with the applicable regulations without restriction, noting at the same time the package of measures taken by the management of the centres to facilitate the revival of the Hussainiya rituals for the inmates in Ashura in particular, including the application of precautionary health measures and the provision of first aids and a doctor on duty in the clinic, while doubling of the period of practicing rituals on the 10th of Muharram upon the desire of the prisoners.
Al-Derazi praised the Ministry of Interior’s constant cooperation with the NIHR, and its response to the requests for declared and undeclared visits to the correction, rehabilitation and detention centres at the time the NIHR deems appropriate.
