Aden Access Denied: Women Journalists Without Chains Cites Pattern of STC Abuses

Women Journalists Without Chains said it has received verified information indicating that security checkpoints affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) closed the main road linking Taiz and Lahj on Saturday, December 27, 2025, preventing hundreds of civilians from entering the city of Aden in what it described as an arbitrary and dangerous measure.

According to the organization, STC forces stationed in the Al-Farsha area of Tor Al-Baha district, Lahj Governorate, blocked the passage of vehicles and buses arriving from northern governorates—particularly Taiz—since early morning hours. Travelers, including families, women, and children, were reportedly forced to turn back without any legal basis or prior official announcement, leaving many stranded for hours and exposed to acute humanitarian hardship.

Women Journalists Without Chains stated that the restrictions were imposed on geographical and regional grounds rather than on individual legal considerations, constituting prohibited racial and regional discrimination. The organization stressed that the incident reflects a recurring pattern of violations by STC-affiliated forces at security checkpoints and land crossings in recent years.
The organization recalled similar documented cases in which travelers were barred from entering Aden and forcibly returned, most recently in April 2025, when dozens of vehicles from Taiz and Ibb governorates—also carrying families—were denied entry without lawful justification.

Women Journalists Without Chains asserted that such practices amount to the crime of persecution under international law, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It noted that the acts involve the deliberate and severe deprivation of fundamental rights—most notably freedom of movement—targeting specific population groups based on regional affiliation and carried out as part of a widespread and systematic pattern of violations.

The organization further emphasized that these actions violate the Yemeni Constitution and breach international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly principles related to equality, non-discrimination, and freedom of movement. It warned that such practices undermine the rule of law, deepen social divisions, and threaten civil peace.
Women Journalists Without Chains condemned the measures in the strongest terms, holding the Southern Transitional Council and its affiliated forces fully responsible for any humanitarian consequences or subsequent violations affecting civilians, given their de facto control over the checkpoints and crossing points.

The organization called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the road, the guarantee of freedom of movement for all travelers without discrimination, and the cessation of all forms of racial and regional exclusion at STC-controlled checkpoints.
It also urged the internationally recognized Yemeni government and relevant authorities to launch an independent and transparent investigation into the December 27 incident and previous cases, including the April 2025 event, to ensure accountability and compel STC forces to comply with Yemen’s obligations under international human rights law.

Women Journalists Without Chains concluded by affirming that it will continue to document these violations, submit them to regional and international human rights mechanisms, and pursue all available avenues to ensure accountability, end discriminatory practices and collective punishment, and safeguard civilians’ rights, safety, and freedom of movement.