Big number of Houthis’ opponents are arbitrarily detained, tortured and forcibly disappeared, HRW says

Hundreds of opponents in Yemen have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, and forcibly disappeared at the hands of the de facto authority represented by Houthi militia and ousted president Saleh, Human Rights Watch said on Friday.

Human Rights Watch called upon what it described as “Houthi and other Sana’a-based authorities” to immediately release those wrongfully detained, not to prevent lawyers and families from access to their detainees and prosecute those involved in ill-treatment, explaining that it has recently documented two deaths in custody and 11 cases alleged torture and mistreatment, including one child abuse.

The Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, Sarah Leah Whitson, said that conflict with Saudi-led military coalition does not justify torture and disappearance of perceived foes, adding that Sana’a authorities would be at risk of prosecution in the future “if they don’t account for the people who are wrongfully detained and return them to their families.”

The American-founded international organization pointed out that it had interviewed five former detainees and 19 of relatives and friends of those held in the rebel-held capital or other places in Yemen, confirming that it has documented cases of arbitrary detention against at least 61 people by the putschists in Sanaa since 2014.

“The authorities have released at least 26, but 24 remain in custody and two died during detention. Families have not been able to learn the whereabouts of nine more men, who have seemingly been forcibly disappeared. Many people appear to have been arrested because of their links to Islah, but students, journalists, activists, and members of the Baha’i community have also been arrested and detained for apparently politically motivated reasons,” Human Rights Watch mentioned.

Human Rights Watch urgently demanded, “The Sanaa-based authorities should immediately begin releasing those held arbitrarily, prioritizing the release of children and other vulnerable prisoners. No one should be required to sign a pledge that includes admitting they cooperated with the coalition as a condition of release.”