Abductees’ Mothers Association condemns torturing Sadeq Ahmed Yehya Al-Ghawi, 37, to death by Houthi armed group after he was abducted from his farm in Sa’da on May 15th, 2020.
On the same day, Houthis, also, abducted Sadeq’s only brother, Ameen, as well as his cousins; Abdullah Hussein Al-Ghawi, Esam Hussein Al-Ghawi, Mohammed Hussein Al-Ghawi, Naser Hussein Al-Ghawi, Mohammed Naji Al-Ghawi, Abdulrazzaq Ahmed Al-Ghawi, and Zubair Mohammed Al-Ghawi, after storming their houses.
Sadeq and his relatives were forcibly disappeared until September 16th, 2020, when information were unofficially leaked to his family about keeping his dead body at Military Police Hospital Morgue in Sana’a. After a long time of searching, the family managed to locate Sadeq’s body, which was covered with torture scars and rope marks around his neck. The hospital manager told them that the body had been transferred from Habra Prison on June 26th, 2020.
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The victim’s family refused to claim the body without investigating the reasons of torturing him to death and uncovering the fate of their forcibly disappeared relatives.
In the reported filed by the victim’s family to the association, they stated that they had been threatened by Houthi armed group to “cover the case up and claim the body, or else the other abducted family members will be in danger.”
At Abductees’ Mothers Association, we condemn the violations against Sadeq Al-Ghawi, namely torture to death, abducting his brother and cousins, and forcing them to disappearance until this day. We, also, condemn the threats Al-Ghawi family has been receiving regarding the fate of their forcibly disappeared relatives. We hold Houthi armed group fully responsible for the crime of torturing Sadeq Al-Ghawi to death and for the lives and safety of his other abducted relatives. We demand Houthi armed group to immediately release Al-Ghawi family members, and to bring the perpetrators of the torture crime to justice.
We emphasize that forced disappearance is a grave danger threatening the lives of abductees, as the association has documented the death of 82 abductees due to torture during forced disappearance periods. The abductees’ lives are put in the danger of extrajudicial executions, and detention at targeted areas, violating the Yemeni constitution and International Humanitarian Law.
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While Yemeni warring parties are convening in Switzerland, we demand the United Nations, Security Council, and Peace-fostering countries to obligate both parties, as preliminary procedures, to uncover the fate of all forcibly disappeared persons, to drop all execution judgements, to close down all targeted detention centers, and to release all abductees and detainees held there.
We call upon all supporters to stand by our fair demands, raising the voice of victims’ families, saying “We live the pain every day. Agony doubles with every dead abductee. Yet, we are strong with your support, and our voices are loud with your stand. Make the change in these negotiations like you always do!”
Issued by Abductees’ Mothers Association.
September 22nd, 2020