Dubai prison: Virtual visits and court hearing amid virus crisis

An inmate wearing protective gear receives a virtual visit at Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In the correctional compound located about 35km from Dubai's city centre, the use of video conferencing systems is one of the ways the authorities are trying to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 respiratory disease in prison, along with an array of safety measures which have been difficult on inmates, some of whom spent their days in workshops and recreational classes. — AFP

DUBAI: Behind a glass, sound-proof door, an inmate speaks with someone on a computer screen after visits to the Dubai prison were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a separate room of the same compound located in the emirate's desert, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) from the city centre, another inmate appeared for a virtual court hearing, while a third was questioned by a prosecutor online.