Four years have passed since the bombing of the Community College Prison in Dhamar by the coalition air force, after Houthi armed group turned the educational facility into a prison. The bombing resulted in the killing of 134 abductees who were forcibly hidden, and the injury of around 45 others. This painful anniversary continues, and the mothers and families of the victims are still seeking justice and calling for an international investigation into the killing of their sons. Some of them have only received half a body, while others have not even been able to identify the body of their relatives, which have been buried among the unidentified and in mass graves.
Abductees’ Mothers Association has documented painful testimonies about the victims of the bombing of the Community College Prison in Dhamar, including:
Imad Addin Abdulnasir Al-Wahashi, who was abducted at the age of seventeen and was still hidden from his family with no information about his whereabouts. During his last transfer to the prison, he was allowed to make a phone call and told his father that there would be an imminent exchange of prisoners and detainees under the auspices of the Red Cross. When his father heard about the bombing of the community college, he went to search for his son. An official asked him for money, trying to deceive him by claiming that his son was still alive and going through Houthi cultural training. However, Imad’s father received confirmation from his surviving colleagues that he was among the victims of the bombing. They searched for his body, and only found its upper part, as it had changed due to being under the rubble for four days. His family took his body and buried him in his hometown in Al-Bayda’a.
Asaad Saeed Hakimi, 21 years old, was abducted from his workplace and hidden from his family, who were not allowed to visit him. During his captivity, he made only two phone calls, pleading to his father to get him out of that place, especially as he saw his colleagues being consumed by pulmonary tuberculosis. Asaad’s father said, “After strenuous efforts, I managed to complete the guarantee procedures for the release of my son. However, I was shocked by the news of the bombing of the college building. I contacted the Red Cross, hoping that my son would be among the survivors, but all I found was half of his body, which I buried and returned.”
Saleh Abdulmohsen Al-Udini, whose family received promises of his release four days before the bombing. However, they only found his head under the rubble.
We, Abductees’ Mothers Association, rally in front of the Taiz Governorate building, to condemn the continued international and humanitarian silence regarding this crime. Four years have passed, and it remains amidst forgotten crimes.
We reiterate our condemnation of Houthi armed group and the Arab coalition, holding them fully responsible for the genocide that our abducted sons have been subjected to. This is a crime that will not be subject to statute of limitations.
We, once again, call on the Security Council and the United Nations to hold accountable and punish the perpetrators of this crime and those responsible for it, which amounts to war crimes.
We demand that the Arab coalition forces abide by international humanitarian law and hold accountable those who carried out the bombing of the Community College Prison in Dhamar and bring them to justice. We also call for fair and appropriate compensation for the families of the victims of the bombing and the survivors.
Issued by Abductees’ Mothers Association, Taiz.
September 2nd, 2023.