Arakan Army Releases 47 Rohingya Abductees From Buthidaung Prison

Photo: Collected

Arakan Now | 20 April 2026

The Arakan Army released 47 Rohingya abductees and 16 other ethnic individuals from Buthidaung Prison on 17 April 2026, according to local residents.

Arakan Now interviewed one of the abductees (whose name, date of abduction, and other details are being withheld for security reasons) who was among those released.

He told Arakan Now that on 10 April, they were transferred to Nyaung Chaung, an Arakan Army post, prior to their release. The group was held there for about a week before being released on 17 April.

He said he had been abducted in 2023 from a village in Buthidaung without committing any crime and was held in prison for nearly three years.

“Fortunately, I am one of the luckiest people on earth to have been released; unfortunately, hundreds were not. I never expected that I would see my family, fellow villagers, and others again,” he told Arakan Now.

He said he had been transferred to Buthidaung Prison a year ago after previously being held in various detention centres, including those in mountainous areas.

He added that more than 700 Rohingya abductees are being held in Buthidaung Prison without any charges.

“We were constantly tortured every day and forced to perform labour throughout the day. We were not given enough food—only three or four spoonfuls of rice. Every day, I consumed grasses to survive,” he told Arakan Now.

He further said, “The prison was like hell. For three years, I was never permitted to see or speak with my family.”

He urged the international community to step up efforts to save those who remain in detention.