Abductees Mothers Association statement supporting torture victims and exposing the abandonment faced after release.

While freedom has become a granted right around the globe, Yemenis are still suffering, especially our abducted, forcibly disappeared, and arbitrarily arrested sons, who are subjected to brutal torture leading to the death of many of them.

 

From the beginning of 2020 until the middle of 2021, Abductees’ Mothers Association has documented many cases of physical torture abductees and detainees were subjected to in order to confess to the accusations faced with. The numbers of cases have mounted as follows; 117 cases carried out by Houthi armed group, 14 carried out by Security Belt Forces, controlled by Southern Transitional Council, and 18 carried out by the government. Additionally, the association has documented the severe beating and mistreatment cases abductees were subjected to while being held in isolated and inhuman conditions. The figures were 604 incidents perpetrated by Houthi armed group, 52 cases carried out by STC-controlled Security Belt Forces, and 24 cases carried out by the government. Moreover, the abducting authorities have systemically used medical negligence as a mean of torture and punishment. The victims of such method were 168 at Houthi prisons, 11 at STC’s Security Belt Forces prisons, and 10 at the government prisons.
 
Abductees’ Mothers Association has interviewed 401 released abductees and 662 abductees’ family members regarding the physical and mental torture abductees have been facing. The association’s teams have, also, closely monitored their conditions and the actions supposedly taken by the competent authorities and NGOs for their sake. However, we, sadly, had to live the exclusion of their medical and psychological needs on daily basis. After Geneva Agreement, more than 1056 abductees and war prisoners were released in October 2020, and many noticed that some released abductees were only able to walk using crutches or by the support of their friends. We had the notion that all those abductees were fortunate enough to be included in an agreement signed under the auspices of the United Nations, the international protector of human rights. However, we are devastated by the marginalization of their needs since that day.
 
While torture injuries and traumas linger on the victims, they spend most of their time at hospitals for treatment or resting at home. Sadly, most of them cannot afford the treatment costs and are silently facing agony alone at their homes. Consequently, 5 released abductees have passed away breaking the hearts of their families who had patiently waited their return.
 
Abductees’ Mothers Association, which looks after the abductees and their families, cannot turn a blind eye on the suffering of released abductees on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Thus, we demand the following from abducting authorities;
1. To stop all torture methods carried out at prisons and detention centers.
2. To permanently close down all secret detention centers which only lead to the death of abductees.
3. To compensate the torture victims for all injuries and damage they and their families endured.
 
In order to provide their needs, we extend the following recommendations to the United Nations, peace-fostering countries, donor countries, and human rights organizations;
1. Providing the needed medical, psychological, social, and legal support for all released abductees.
2. Contributing in the development of psychological support centers and department at public hospitals.
3. Developing scholarship programs for studying and training at forensic fields as the need for forensic experts has notably grown at such times.
4. Granting that the individuals that could be related to torturing abductees and arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared persons are never included in peace negotiations as it completely contradicts accountability and the realization of justice.
 
Issued by Abductees’ Mothers Association.
June 26th, 2021.
 
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