With great sadness and grief, we received the news of the death of the former abductee, Mohammed Ezzi Qabel, who died yesterday after his health condition deteriorated since his abduction by Houthi armed group in Dhamar. Mohammed was released on Eid’s eve, May 23rd, 2020. His health had severely deteriorated since he was abducted, along with three of his sons, and used as hostages to force his fourth son to turn himself in.
At Abductees’ Mothers Association, we condemn the injustice Mohammed’s family faced as their father and four sons were abducted and forcibly disappeared, all their phones and laptops were confiscated, and women and children were threatened of abduction and bombing their house.
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Along with the father, the three other abductees were; Abdulrahama Mohammed Qabel, 30 years old, Moahmmed Mohammed Qabel, 18 years old, and Abdulrazzaq Mohammed Qabel, 16 years old. They were all abducted on April 14th, 2020, from their home in Dhamar. During the abduction, the house was stormed by Houthis and live ammunition was fired, scaring women and children, in order to force the fourth son, Osama, to turn himself in. Three days later, Houthi armed group stormed the house again and threatened to abduct women and bomb the house if Osama did not turn himself in.
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Such actions are added to the violations Mohammed Qabel’s family are facing as Houthi armed group abducted their son, Abdullah Mohammed Qabel, a journalist, in 2015. He was killed on May 21st, 2015 after Houthi armed group had detained him in an arms storage facility at Harran Mountain, which was bombed by coalition air force.
The violations Houthi armed group has been carrying out against Qabel’s family can be considered as a war crime. Thus, we demand human rights organizations, locally and internationally, and the United Nations to help and support victims’ families, and pressure Houthi armed group to immediately release Mohammed Qabel’s sons and all other abductees.
Issued by Abductees’ Mothers Association, Dhamar
June 8th, 2020