Yemeni prisoners moved from secret jails

Dozens of detainees in Yemen have been transferred from two secret facilities to governmentrun prisons in the southern cities of Mukalla and Aden, a senior Yemeni official, activists and relatives of prisoners said Monday.

A group of 133 detainees was transferred to the newly renovated Central Prison in Mukalla from the Riyan airport, a senior Yemeni security official said.

The airport was one of 18 secret prisons that an Associated Press investigation revealed as run by the United Arab Emirates or its allies, where former prisoners said torture was widespread.

The UAE denies the allegations and says all prisons in govern- ment-controlled territory are run by Yemeni authorities.

Families of detainees, former prisoners and mediators have said Riyan airport and other secret sites in Mukalla held hundreds of detainees.

It’s not clear if the rest of the prisoners have been transferred to other facilities or released.

Aden is the headquarters of government forces who have been battling the country’s Shiite rebels since 2015. The government forces are allied with a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE and is supported by the United States.

Aden is still home to a number of secret prisons, rights advocates say.