Titled Innocent at a Void Trial, Abductees’ Mothers Association and other civil society organizations held, today, a seminar regarding the death sentences of 30 civilian abductees issued by Houthi armed group. In the working paper presented by the association, the importance of the 30 abductees’ case and the countless efforts made for it were elaborated. The association’s representative discussed those efforts, in the seminar, such as; presenting the case file and its updates to Security Council’s and Human Rights Council’s commissions and investigation bodies, producing a documentary series titled A Mother’s Journey to Court, holding meetings with OHCHR representative in Yemen, organizing different protesting rallies, and officially writing the president and vice president.
Ali Hazazi, a lawyer and the head of Human Rights and Civil Society Organizations Committee at the Office of Presidency, stated that it is the government’s duty to diminish those violations which are not related to the law and merely political decisions issued by a judge with no competency.
Khaled Al-Raimi, a lawyer, indicated in his presentation that the trials were null and void, the judgements were only political, and the judge lacked any jurisdiction by the order of Supreme Judicial Council.
Yemen Human Rights Protection Network and Belqees Granddaughters Initiative had a joint working paper presented by their representative, Sa’adyah Al-Mahfali. The paper discussed several topics including the role of civil society organizations regarding the judgment of executing 30 abductees, and the position of international and national organizations towards the case and their efforts as regards to the case. She concluded by significant recommendations such as creating and activating a joint chamber to manage and unify organizations’ efforts towards the case.
During the seminar, a relative of the abductee Waleed Al-Zain talked about the suffering and struggle they faced after his abduction and during his disappearance, and about visit prevention.