On Thursday evening, the Abductees’ Mothers Association, a key member of the Justice for Yemen Pact, unveiled a comprehensive human rights report titled “Witness Memory.” This report documents instances of deaths in detention centers attributed to torture or medical neglect. The report’s launch was marked by a virtual seminar conducted via Zoom, which saw the participation of human rights activists, legal experts, survivors, and the families of victims.
At the beginning of the seminar, the Chairperson of the Abductees’ Mothers Association, Mrs. Amat al-Salam al-Hajj, welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of securing the freedom of all abductees, as guaranteed by divine laws and international and local regulations. She stressed the need to end impunity to prevent further violations, stating that the first step towards peace in the country begins with addressing the issue of abductees and securing their release.
In his speech, Firas Hamdouni, the Yemen Program Director at the DT Institute, highlighted the significance of the seminar amidst recent challenges, including the wave of arrests conducted by the Houthi group targeting workers in local and international civil society organizations. He reaffirmed the commitment to amplifying the voices of human rights defenders to combat impunity, a primary goal of the project aimed at enhancing human rights recognition, empowering civil society, and achieving justice and accountability through documenting human rights violations and advocacy efforts.
Mrs. Najla Fadhel, a member of the Association, presented the human rights report, describing it as a step towards building and preserving the human rights memory. She noted the association’s ongoing efforts to document testimonies from survivors and families of victims. Mrs. Fadhel also outlined the challenges faced by the team, particularly in accessing information and the psychological impact on the team members who prepared the report.
Nada Awadh, Advocacy Coordinator for the Human Rights Council at the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), spoke about the importance of monitoring and documenting violations to achieve justice and accountability. She emphasized the efforts of civil society organizations in advocating for the establishment of an independent accountability mechanism to collect and preserve evidence, prepare case files, and facilitate criminal procedures to lay the foundation for effective redress.
Lawyer Ali Hazazi, Head of the Human Rights and Civil Society Organizations Department at the Presidential Office, discussed the anticipated governmental role in supporting the families of victims and survivors. He praised the significant efforts of the Abductees’ Mothers Association and stressed the importance of documentation in raising such issues to find ways to provide justice for the victims.
Hazazi further explained that in all government negotiations, the issue of abductees is given utmost importance. He stressed the need for civil society organizations to join governmental voices in demanding the unconditional release of abductees. Additionally, he highlighted the necessity for the collaboration between organizations and the Human Rights Department to present the abductees’ case to official authorities, including support for victims’ families, providing psychological support to survivors, and documenting cases of detention and other related issues.
Regarding the “impact experienced by survivors resulting from detention,” survivor Abdul-Ilah Sailan discussed the hardships of detention and the various forms of torture that can last for eight to ten years, which he described as a “period of enforced death.” He emphasized that detainees suffer significantly from the perceived abandonment by the authorities responsible for addressing the cases of abductees. Sailan added that the psychological and physical effects on detainees are profound and persist for years after their release from prison. These effects include nightmares and societal fears, and they often receive no psychological, moral, or economic support.
At the end of the seminar, facilitated by human rights activist Shorouq Al-Qasimi, featured participants presenting several proposals and inquiries. These included discussions on redressing the harm suffered by victims, rehabilitating survivors, providing psychological support programs, reintegrating survivors into society, and offering financial support. Participants also stressed the importance of implementing the recommendations outlined in the “Witness Memory” report.
To read the roport:
https://ama-ye.org/witness-memory/
