The Abductees’ Mothers Association recently held a workshop on the issue of enforced disappearances, coinciding with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen, the workshop addressed key issues, including international and local laws on enforced disappearances, the challenges faced by the forcibly disappeared victims, available support measures, and the psychological and social impacts on victims, their families, and the broader community. The workshop also featured the screening of a documentary titled “Dungeon of Death.”
In her remarks, Ms. Sabah, the director of the association’s Ma’rib branch, highlighted the importance of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances in bringing attention to the plight of the forcibly disappeared and the profound psychological effects on both the abductees and their families. She pointed out that these families often face social stigma and discrimination, which can deny them essential legal and humanitarian assistance, leading to issues with identity verification. Attendees watched Dungeon of Death,” a film depicting the abduction of Masoud Al-Bakili by Houthi forces on July 12, 2016, from his Qanbar village in Bakeel Al-Mair district, Hajjah Governorate. Masoud was forcibly disappeared, tortured in Sana’a’s Political Security Prison, and tragically died on July 23, 2024.
The first session, led by lawyer Rufaida Al-Dhabyani, focused on the international and local laws that criminalize enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary detentions, and torture. She stressed the urgent need to enforce these laws to protect civilians from such violations. Dr. Zamzam spoke on the psychological impact of enforced disappearances on both victims and their families, noting that the trauma from torture can result in severe mental health issues, including anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, and memory loss.
Mahdi Abu Al-Ghaith, an OHCHR representative, expressed sorrow over the large number of forcibly disappeared individuals and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to receiving suggestions and feedback to support the forcibly disappeared and elevate their cases to the United Nations.
Jamila Rubayyan, the wife of a forcibly disappeared victim, shared her personal ordeal, recounting how her husband disappeared while fetching medicine during her childbirth. Despite the family’s efforts, including paying extortion demands from Houthi forces, his whereabouts remain unknown.
The workshop concluded with a series of recommendations including:
Establishing comprehensive psychological support centers, including mental health clinics.
Keeping the issue of the forcibly disappeared and abducted active beyond international commemorations.
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Engaging with international media to raise global awareness of the abductees’ plight.
Enforcing laws to protect the forcibly disappeared and abducted.
Preparing legal files on cases of the disappeared and abducted for submission to international courts.
Providing financial and moral support to the families of the disappeared and abducted.
Prioritizing the families of the disappeared in educational and healthcare services.
Offering training and development opportunities for the families of the disappeared in income-generating and sustainable development programs.
Providing psychological rehabilitation and societal reintegration for those released from prisons.
Creating a network to monitor the implementation of workshop outcomes.