The chairperson of the Abductees’ Mothers Association, Ms. Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj, met today with the Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Ms. Ishraq Al-Maqtari, in the interim capital, Aden, to discuss laws related to abductees, detainees, and forcibly disappeared persons, and ways to activate them in a manner that ensures the protection of victims and accountability for perpetrators of violations.
Al-Hajj stressed the importance of the internationally recognized Yemeni government assuming its responsibilities in activating and enforcing national laws that guarantee the protection of civilians, including detainees, and in implementing legislation aimed at holding accountable those responsible for crimes of abduction, enforced disappearance, torture, and other grave human rights violations.
She also reviewed the Association’s efforts in advocating for the cases of abductees, detainees, and forcibly disappeared persons, and in amplifying their voices and those of their families in public forums and local and international platforms. She highlighted ongoing advocacy campaigns and meetings with relevant authorities and specialized committees to demand the unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.
Al-Hajj further emphasized that the Association continues its documentation and monitoring of all violations committed against abductees and forcibly disappeared persons, as well as its ongoing cooperation with relevant authorities on exchange-related files, contributing to clarifying the fate of detainees, identifying their whereabouts, and working toward their return to their families.
She noted that the Association faces several challenges, most notably difficulties in accessing information, security threats against its team, and limited financial resources, in addition to the complexities surrounding cases of enforced disappearance—particularly in Aden—amid the lack of implementation of presidential directives regarding disclosure of detainees’ fate, revealing places of detention, closing secret prisons, and holding those responsible accountable.
For her part, the Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights expressed responsiveness to the Association’s demands, affirming the ministry’s commitment to reviewing relevant laws concerning abductees and forcibly disappeared persons, and to strengthening coordination and cooperation with the Association in this regard.
The Abductees’ Mothers Association welcomed the minister’s response and her willingness to dedicate time to listening to the demands of families of abductees and forcibly disappeared persons, as well as her emphasis on working to activate and enforce applicable laws in a way that strengthens human rights protection and ensures justice and redress for victims.
