The Abductees’ Mothers Association strongly condemns the Houthi group’s abduction of Dr. Hamoud Al-Oudi, an academic, thinker, and national figure, along with his two colleagues, Anwar Khaled Shaab and Abdulrahman al-Ulufi. The abduction was carried out by the group’s so-called security and intelligence apparatus in the capital, Sana’a, after the three men had voluntarily complied with a summons issued by the Houthi authorities.
This incident constitutes yet another violation in a long series of abuses committed by the Houthi group against civilians. It represents a blatant infringement of the fundamental rights to freedom and personal security guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, it is a repressive act that seeks to silence intellectual and academic voices and suppress the freedom of civil society.
The abduction of Dr. Hamoud a
Al-Oudi, a respected national figure known for his independent and principled thought, is a purely retaliatory act targeting free expression and cultural diversity. It reflects a dangerous attempt to impose ideological control and suppress dissent, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and Yemen’s constitutional principles.
The Abductees’ Mothers Association holds the Houthi group fully responsible for the safety and well-being of Dr. Al-Oudi and his two colleagues.
We call on the United Nations, its Special Envoy to Yemen, and all human rights organizations to exert serious and immediate pressure on the Houthi group to secure the release of Dr. Hamoud Al-Oudi, his colleagues, and all other abductees and forcibly disappeared persons held in Houthi prisons. We further urge an immediate end to the policy of abductions and persecutions targeting academics and activists, and demand adherence to international humanitarian law and human rights conventions.
Issued by: The Abductees’ Mothers Association
November 12, 2025