In front of the Attorney General’s Office in Aden, the Mothers of the Abductees held a protest against the violence they continue to endure through the abduction and enforced disappearance of their loved ones for more than ten years, an ordeal that has shattered their families and torn apart the fabric of their lives.
Coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the mothers affirmed that the abduction of their husbands, sons, and fathers constitutes a complete form of violence that affects women and their families for many years. This violence has deepened amid the country’s difficult economic conditions, leaving women to face harsh realities and burdens beyond their human capacity.
The mothers also stressed that violence has targeted women themselves, as they have been subjected to abduction and detention following raids on their homes, most recently seen in the case of two female employees of the World Food Programme in Sana’a.
During the vigil, the Chairperson of the Abductees Mothers Association and her team met with the Attorney General of the governorate to discuss the suffering of the abducted and forcibly disappeared and their families, and to stress the urgent humanitarian need to advance the detainees’ file. She emphasized the importance of the authorities responding to the case files submitted by the Association, which include detailed information on the abducted and forcibly disappeared, in order to secure their release.
The Abductees Mothers Association called for the immediate release of all Yemeni women detainees, as well as all abducted, forcibly disappeared, and arbitrarily detained relatives, and for an end to all forms of abduction, detention, and enforced disappearance against civilians.
They also demanded guarantees for the safe return of the abducted to their families, considering this a fundamental right for women and essential to their stability and human dignity.
Furthermore, they urged that women and their children be ensured their basic rights to decent living, protection, and care, and called for perpetrators of violations to be held accountable and prevented from escaping justice.
Finally, they called for protecting Yemeni women working in humanitarian and other fields and ensuring they are not targeted while carrying out their duties.