The Abductees Mothers Association met this morning with the Acting Public Prosecutor of the internationally recognized government, Judge Nabil Jawbah, during a protest held by mothers, wives, and fathers of the forcibly disappeared in front of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the governorate.
During the meeting, the Association submitted an official memorandum calling for the swift implementation of the directives of the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, as well as the decisions issued regarding the file of the forcibly disappeared. Foremost among these is Public Prosecutor Circular No. (2) of 2026, concerning the inventory and closure of unlawful detention facilities.
The circular includes clear measures, most notably:
- Immediate field inspections of detention and holding facilities within the relevant jurisdiction.
- The immediate release of anyone proven to be detained without legal justification.
- The transfer of detainees who have lawful arrest warrants to officially recognized prisons and the referral of their cases to the competent prosecution offices.
- The closure of all unrecognized detention and holding facilities and the prohibition of their use.
- The determination of legal responsibility for any unlawful detention, the taking of necessary measures against those involved, and the submission of reports on the results within the specified timeframe.
The Abductees Mothers Association received an official directive from the Office of the Public Prosecutor to the Prisons Department of the Public Prosecution to follow up on completing the closure of secret prisons, revealing the fate of the forcibly disappeared, and securing their release. This followed the Association’s submission of a documented list of enforced disappearance cases.
The Association stressed the urgency of implementing these measures in line with presidential directives and the Public Prosecutor’s circular through concrete action on the ground, under independent judicial oversight and with full transparency. Such implementation is essential to uncover the fate of all forcibly disappeared persons and to end the prolonged suffering of their families.
The Association also called for holding all those involved in the enforced disappearance and torture of civilians accountable, including anyone proven to have established or managed secret prisons or committed violations within them, without exception. Enforced disappearance is a grave crime that does not lapse with time under Yemeni law and international conventions, and accountability is essential to prevent impunity.
Furthermore, the Abductees Mothers Association demanded that this human rights issue be clearly included in the agenda and outcomes of the Southern–Southern Dialogue sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Association emphasized that the file of the forcibly disappeared and secret prisons is a humanitarian and human rights issue that cannot be ignored or postponed and represents a fundamental entry point to any just settlement or sustainable peace.
The Abductees Mothers Association affirmed that justice for the forcibly disappeared is the foundation of genuine peace, and that any political, security, or dialogue process that fails to place this issue at the top of its priorities will remain incomplete.
