Hargeisa- The deputy commander of the Custodial Guards, General Hassan Ali, denied allegations of torture made by prisoners held in Hargeisa prison.

A website called Goobjoog published voices of men claiming that they were tortured in Hargeisa prison. The men who were transferred from Seychelles to Hargeisa prison in 2009 were convicted of piracy.

"that is a lie. We do not torture people in our prisons,” he said.

He added that the prisons of Somaliland do not use torture tactics at all.

The deputy commander said a mobile phone was used to record the voices and take photos.

He did not deny the authenticity of the voices and photos but said the claims are not true.

"The phone is now in our hands,” he said.

He argued that the prison is open for human rights organization and family members to monitor.