This morning in Taiz, Abductees’ Mothers Association published its report, titled Smell of Death, documenting and monitoring the violations against abductees and detainees held at Alsaleh Prison at a press conference. The conference was attended by many human rights organizations’ representatives and activists, media platforms, and local mediations.
In the association’s speech, given by its representative in Taiz, Asma’a Al-Rae’i, she highlighted the efforts of the association to unconditionally release all abductees. She spoke of the association’s most important activities including; peaceful rallies, addressing abductees’ case to human rights organizations, providing national and international investigation committees with detailed information regarding abductions, meeting with government personnel and decision makers to urge them to fulfill their duties, elaborating the suffering of abductees to competent authorities and the whole society, and positively interact with all local and international mediations.
Al-Rae’i added that by issuing Smell of Death report, the association continues supporting the rights of abductees and arbitrarily detained persons. She called to mount more pressure until all abductees held at Alsaleh Prison are unconditionally free.
Additionally, Al-Rae’i demanded closing down Alsaleh Prison, and guaranteeing stopping using such residential areas as detention centers. She stressed on the need of bringing to justice whoever has a role in the violations against abductees such as; abduction, forced disappearance, torture, and using residential buildings prisons. She, also, stressed on the need to compensate all victims as the prison does not only deprive them from their freedom, it also ruins their careers and lives financially and socially.
Hence, justice can only be totally served by compensating them.
Smell of Death monitored the violations against abductees and forcibly disappeared persons at Alsaleh Prison since March 2018 until December 2020. Regarding their right to life, the report monitored the death of 7 abductees inside the prison, who died to various reasons such as torture and medical negligence. Others died a short while after release after suffering from deteriorated health conditions.
In relation to the right to freedom, the report monitored 956 abducted civilians held at Alsaleh Prison, including 60 minors, 850 among of whom are forcibly disappeared.
Smell of Death report documented 714 cases where victims were subjected to physical torture and 860 cases where abductees were subjected to beating and mistreatment.
The association, itself, has previously documented, in video footage, the statement of 194 released abductees who had been victims of physical torture at Alsaleh Prison in order to admit to their trumped-up charges and sign their false confessions.
The report extended many recommendations including; demanding the United Nations and Security Council to mount more immense pressure upon Houthi armed group to release all abductees and detainees held at Alsaleh Prison, activating the role of UN agencies to provide medical and mental support programs for torture victims who had been detained at Alsaleh Prison. It also demanded the ICRC to visit Alsaleh Prison in order to check on the abductees and detention conditions, and to grant the abductees their human rights including their right of contacting their families.