[ad_1]
ANKARA
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday accused Saudi authorities of holding hundreds of migrants in inhumane conditions amid no proceedings to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a report released by the US-based HRW, the migrants were held in small overcrowded rooms for long periods of time and many of them were tortured and beaten by guards at the Riyadh deportation center.
Commenting on the report, Nadia Hardman, a refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW, said that “Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the world, has no excuse for detaining migrant workers in dire conditions, amidst a health pandemic, during peak months. ”
HRW said migrants who spoke with HRW alleged that three of their colleagues were killed while in custody as a result of torture in October and November.
However, HRW said it has yet to independently verify such allegations.
The report added that interviewees told HRW that migrants, who were mostly detained due to the expiration of their residence permits, were detained without measures to protect them from the pandemic.
The report ended by urging the Saudi authorities to put an end to those alleged violations and release the migrants immediately.
“Saudi Arabia should act swiftly to end the abusive conditions in the Riyadh deportation center and contain the potential for a devastating COVID-19 outbreak,” Hardman said.
The Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news that is offered to subscribers on the AA News Transmission System (HAS), and in summary form. Contact us for subscription options.
[ad_2]
