On Thursday evening, in observance of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, the Abductees’ Mothers Association held a hearing featuring testimonies from two survivors of Houthi prisons. These survivors recounted witnessing the deaths of fellow detainees due to severe mistreatment. The session began with the premiere of a human rights film produced by the association titled “Dungeon of Death.” The film exposes the brutal violations faced by detainees, which have led to numerous deaths from torture. It centers on the story of Masoud Yahya Musidah (Al-Bakili) from Hajjah Governorate, who was tortured to death in 2017 at the Security and Intelligence Detention Center in Sana’a. The film includes testimonies from survivors who witnessed his death and features dramatized scenes depicting the suffering of detainees.
The hearing, attended by activists, survivors, and representatives from human rights organizations, included a speech by lawyer Abdul Malik Mansour, a survivor of Al-Saleh Prison in Taiz Governorate. He described his abduction from a restaurant in front of his wife and children and his subsequent detention in Al-Saleh Prison, which lacked basic necessities for survival. Mansour also recounted the deaths of fellow detainees, Abdu Saleh Swaileh and Ibrahim Mahyoub Al-Salahi, who passed away due to medical neglect, as well as the physical and psychological torture, isolation from the outside world, and deprivation of family visits. He emphasized the need for justice and accountability, urging for the prosecution and punishment of those responsible for abduction and torture in prisons.
Teacher, Mohammed Radwah, an academic, poet, and writer from Hajjah Governorate, shared his experience of being arrested while preparing for his children’s wedding the second day. He was taken to a secret prison, then to Habra reserve prison, where he witnessed the death of detainee Ahmed Saleh Al-Wahashi under torture. He was later transferred to the central prison in Sana’a, where he fell seriously ill and spent 17 days in the prison’s health unit with fellow detainee Khaled Al-Haith, who died from liver inflammation due to the inadequate medical care. Teacher Radwah also highlighted the ongoing suffering of survivors, who are often subjected to forced exchange or displacement upon release.
Radwah praised the Abductees’ Mothers Association for its support of the families of abductees and its advocacy for their rights. He, along with other survivors, is committed to sharing their stories to document the atrocities they endured and raise awareness of their plight.
Attendees also discussed the widespread issue of enforced disappearances and the suffering of detainees and their families, who often endure months or years of searching for their loved ones while facing financial and psychological extortion for information about their whereabouts.
The Abductees’ Mothers Association reaffirmed its commitment to exposing the violations suffered by detainees, demanding justice and accountability for the victims of abduction and enforced disappearance, and fighting against impunity for those responsible for these crimes.