With the strongest expressions of condemnation and deep concern, the Abductees’ Mothers Association held a protest this morning in front of the Taiz Governorate building, denouncing the unlawful and illegitimate death sentences issued against more than 17 of its abducted sons in Sana’a by the so-called Specialized Criminal Court, which operates under the control of the Houthi group and lacks any legal legitimacy.
The Association called on the United Nations, the UN Special Envoy, the legitimate government, and all relevant authorities to take urgent action to halt these death sentences, and to exert genuine pressure to prevent the repetition of the tragic executions previously carried out against nine men from Tihama. It further urged the formation of an independent and transparent international commission to investigate forced confessions and other violations related to death penalty cases and unfair trials, and to ensure that perpetrators do not escape accountability.
The Association affirmed that these trials lacked judicial, legal, and procedural legitimacy, and relied on confessions extracted under torture and enforced disappearance, confessions that cannot, under any circumstance, be treated as valid evidence in a fair trial.
It stressed that these rulings represent a blatant violation of the principles of justice and of international conventions that prohibit trying civilians before courts that are neither independent nor recognized, and forbid the use of torture-extracted confessions as evidence, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Convention Against Torture.
The Association also condemned the Houthi group’s raids on humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, noting that such acts severely undermine humanitarian work and obstruct mediation efforts that could help protect detainees and press for their release.
Furthermore, the Association denounced the abduction of academics and intellectuals, describing it as an act of retaliation targeting freedom of thought and cultural diversity, and entrenching a policy of silencing voices and restricting freedoms.
As part of its “Save the Abductees” campaign, the Association reiterated its demand to reactivate the detainees’ file to secure their immediate release, end arbitrary arrests, torture, and unlawful trials, and protect abductees before it is too late.
The Abductees’ Mothers Association reaffirmed its unconditional commitment to its abducted sons; to continue exposing injustice and violations, defending their legitimate rights, and working tirelessly until all abductees and the forcibly disappeared are freed and their suffering, and that of their families, comes to an end.
