The Abductees’ Mothers Association expresses its profound condemnation and deep concern over the information announced by the four-member committee tasked with verifying the fate of politician Mohammed Qahtan, indicating that he died while in detention by the Houthi group after more than eleven years of enforced disappearance and secrecy surrounding his fate, despite repeated appeals and persistent local and international demands to reveal his whereabouts and secure his release.
The Association stresses that the Houthi group’s continued concealment of the fate of abductees and its denial of their families’ right to know the truth constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Such acts amount to crimes that require accountability and justice and must not be allowed to pass without investigation or punishment.
The Association further affirms that, if Mohammed Qahtan’s death in detention is confirmed, it would expose the serious violations committed inside detention facilities and place full responsibility for his safety and life on the Houthi group from the moment of his abduction. Concealing the truth for more than a decade reflects a systematic policy of deception and impunity, inflicting prolonged psychological suffering on his family and exploiting his case as a bargaining tool in negotiation processes. Such conduct is morally and legally unacceptable and deserves unequivocal condemnation.
The Abductees’ Mothers Association therefore calls on the United Nations and the international community to establish an independent and impartial international commission of inquiry to uncover the full truth about the fate of Mohammed Qahtan and all that he endured during his detention, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under international law so that the perpetrators of this crime do not escape justice.
The Association also emphasizes that justice for Mohammed Qahtan is not only a demand on behalf of his family, but an essential part of the right of all abductees and forcibly disappeared persons to know the truth, obtain justice, and secure redress for victims. Remaining silent in the face of this crime will only encourage the continuation of enforced disappearances and the culture of impunity.