The suffering of hundreds of our relatives who are kidnapped, forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained across the country continues while there seems to be no definitive solution for their prolonged suffering as some of these individuals have been kidnapped for 7 years.
These kidnapped individuals are guilty of nothing but expressing their views, religious beliefs or due to their political or regional background. Most of these kidnapped individuals were subjected to enforced disappearance and severe torture to the point that some of them died under torture while others were killed due to airstrikes after being intentionally put in dangerous places. Others died as a result of deliberate medical neglect and denial of medical care by their jailers. The most horrific of all was the extrajudicial executions by a court lacking the jurisdiction during the war, when the conditions of the trial are unfair.
Abductees’ Mothers Association monitored from 2016 to 2022, the abduction of (7823) civilians by the Houthi group, including (158) women. Also, (419) civilians have been detained by the legitimate government, including (9) women.
(287) civilians were forcibly disappeared by the Houthi group, while (172) others were forcibly disappeared by the government security bodies.
(1478) abductees were tortured in the Houthis prisons whereas (142) abductees were subjected to torture in the prisons of government security organs.
(92) Civilians died under sever torture, and (210) civilians were killed as a result of the coalition airstrikes against places of detention while (18) civilians died due to medical negligence, all of whom were kidnapped and imprisoned in the prisons of the Houthi group.
This suffering continues as (448) civilians are still in the prisons of the Houthis group, including (3) women. Also, (73) civilians are still detained by the Security Belt Forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council while (18) civilians are still detained by the government security organs, including a woman and (5) other civilians are still detained by the Joint Forces in the West Coast. It is worth mentioning that all of these cases are documented by the Abductees’ Mothers Association.
In addition, (51) kidnapped individuals face extrajudicial death sentences in the prisons of the Houthi group, including (4) journalists after the Houthi group had executed (9) kidnapped civilians from Tahama region as a result of subjecting them to an unfair trial which lacked the minimum level of impartiality.
Through the documentation of the testimonies of (795) released individuals by the Abductees’ Mothers Association, we affirm that the abductees and the detainees released while they suffer from the effects of this ordeal, which surrounds them with deformities, disabilities, chronic diseases, mental disorders, the loss of their property after being pillaged by the perpetrators, in addition to losing their enterprises and savings, suspending the scholarships of some of the abductees and terminating their employment.
Furthermore, the violations are committed against women in the families of the abductees since the first moments of the arrest of their beloved ones as they are beaten, abused, insulted, financially and psychologically blackmailed, and threatened with abduction and detention, in addition to defaming the abductees which turns their lives and the lives of their relatives and children harder than ever.
Despite the efforts and appeals for peace and making a partial progress in terms of the abductees’ case in Stockholm agreement and despite the consecutive governments and the political changes in our country, the rights of the abductees during the period of their abduction and after their release are still violated.
Rather, the rights of the abductees killed under torture and airstrikes are forgotten while the perpetrators of these crimes remain unpunished.
In the conjunction with the Yemeni Abductees’ Day on 18 April, we address the following in our statement:
1- Calling the newly-formed Presidential Leadership Council to urgently and fairly work on solving the file of the abductees.
2- The immediate release of all the kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and arbitrarily detained individuals by the government security bodies unconditionally.
3- Striving to release all the kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and arbitrarily detained individuals by the other forces, militias and security and military formations and implementing Stockholm agreement.
4- Declaring 18 April a national, popular and official day for the abductees so that this group’s rights wouldn’t be lost between the violations of the war and its effects.
5- Ending the suffering of the families of the kidnapped, forcibly disappeared, and arbitrarily detained individuals and providing care to them socially and economically in rehabilitation and to help them face the detention and its economic and social effects.
6- Bringing the perpetrators of the abduction, enforced disappearance, and torture, belonging to all parties to the conflict, before local and international courts and ensuring they do not enjoy impunity.
We also call all the human rights activists, and the local and international media and human rights organizations for solidarity with our cause in order to pressure for the release of all the kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and arbitrarily detained individuals so that they can fully exercise their rights.
We also call for active participation in the online campaign under the hashtags:
#يوم_المختطف_اليمني_18أبريل
#YemeniAbducteesDay
Freedom for all abductees and Mercy for those who passed away
Issued by Abductees’ Mothers Association and the American Center for Justice (ACJ) Sunday 17 April 2022