Houthi Death Sentences Spark Global Outcry: Accusations of Judiciary Exploited for Political Vendetta

In a move that has ignited widespread condemnation, the Houthis, classified internationally as a terrorist group, have issued death sentences against 45 civilians. These rulings are being viewed as a flagrant display of "political revenge."

Numerous human rights organizations have voiced their strong opposition to these verdicts, shedding light on the deplorable conditions endured by the abductees held in Houthi prisons. Reports indicate that these individuals are subjected to heinous forms of torture, forced disappearances, and a complete denial of external communication.

Monitoring the situation closely, Barran Press has documented these condemnations, with calls resounding for the urgent liberation of these citizens from the clutches of the Houthis. The National Authority for Prisoners and Abductees wasted no time in denouncing the death sentences as illegal.

Political Revenge Unveiled

In a statement obtained by Barran Press, the Commission has accused the internationally recognized terrorist group, the Houthis, of manipulating the judicial system to exact political revenge. Expressing astonishment at the Houthi decision to execute 45 kidnapped civilians, the Commission highlighted the plight of an additional 25 civilian abductees who remain incarcerated. These individuals were forcibly abducted from their homes, workplaces, and even on public roads, and subsequently subjected to psychological and physical torture, as well as other forms of inhumane and degrading treatment.

The Commission has called upon the Supreme Judicial Council and the Public Prosecutor to swiftly refer the cases of those responsible for crimes of kidnapping, torture, enforced disappearances, and murder to the courts, ensuring that they face the full weight of the law. This includes those who have been masquerading as members of the judiciary and those responsible for issuing the death sentences against the abductors.

The Security Council Committee, established under UN Resolution No. 2140 of 2014, along with its team of experts, has demanded that all individuals involved in these heinous crimes of kidnapping, torture, enforced disappearances, and murder be added to the sanctions list. Furthermore, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen has been urged to fulfill the crucial role of safeguarding political detainees and halting any actions that jeopardize their lives, while ensuring the protection of their freedoms as guaranteed by international covenants and conventions.

International Inaction

Meanwhile, the American Center for Justice (ACJ) has asserted that the Houthi death sentences against abducted civilians serve as a clear testament to the group's continued exploitation of the judiciary as a tool to target individuals and political adversaries.

In a brief statement provided to Barran Press, the American Justice Department expressed deep condemnation and shock over the death sentence imposed on Adnan Al-Harazi, the director and owner of the Prodigy company, under the pretext of alleged cooperation with enemy nations.

The American Justice Department called upon the international community and its specialized institutions to swiftly mobilize and exert pressure on the Houthi group, demanding an end to its violations against individuals and the cessation of unjust death sentences. The statement stressed the importance of activating the role of international judicial bodies to confront the leaders and members of the group involved in these dangerous practices.

Intimidation

Witnesses for Human Rights, in a statement obtained by Barran Press, has vehemently denounced the recently issued sentences by the Houthis, describing them as unjust and a clear violation of principles of justice and human rights.

The organization has affirmed that the Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa lacks jurisdiction and holds no legal authority to issue such rulings. It emphasized that the individuals who have been sentenced to death are innocent civilians who were arbitrarily abducted from their homes and workplaces.

The statement further revealed that the abductees had endured forced disappearances for prolonged periods, during which they were subjected to severe torture with the sole purpose of extracting coerced confessions for fabricated charges.

"The Houthis' exploitation of these illegal courts showcases their blatant manipulation of the judiciary as a means to intimidate their opponents and instill fear among the Yemeni population as a whole," stated the organization. It emphasized that the rulings lack any legal or judicial basis and result from sham trial procedures devoid of integrity and transparency.

Furthermore, the statement from Witnesses highlighted that the decisions issued by the Houthi court cannot be considered legitimate judicial rulings. The organization called on the Houthi group to retract these sentences, emphasizing their illegitimacy and the falsehood on which they are built.

Invalid Verdicts Spark Outrage

In a similar vein, the Musawa Organization for Rights and Freedoms has strongly condemned the mass execution decisions handed down by a court affiliated with the Houthi group in the capital city of Sanaa. The court sentenced 44 civilians, the majority of whom had been held in the group's prisons for over four years.

According to a statement obtained by Barran Press, Musawa regarded these rulings as "invalid both legally and legitimately." The organization cited that they were delivered by an illegitimate court lacking the jurisdiction to preside over this case and others, following the decision to relocate the headquarters of the Specialized Criminal Court to Ma'rib in April 2018.

Musawa stated, "The defendants were subjected to politically motivated trials based on malicious and unfounded charges that were not proven against them. They were tried under unfair conditions that failed to meet the minimum requirements for dispensing justice."

The organization further highlighted the extreme physical and psychological torture endured by the abductees, who were forcibly held in solitary confinement cells and deprived of their fundamental rights to visitation, communication, and a fair trial throughout their detention and trial period.

Musawa called upon Hans Grundberg, the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, and Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to urgently intervene and rescue the detainees. The organization urged them to pressure the Houthis to stop implementing these unjust sentences.

The statement from Musawa stressed the crucial need for international intervention to safeguard and liberate these detainees. It called for mounting pressure on the Houthi group to cease its farcical trials against its opponents. It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals held in its prisons.

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, the internationally recognized terrorist group, the Houthis, sentenced 44 Yemenis, including Adnan Al-Harazi, the abducted director and owner of Prodigy Systems, through the criminal court under their control in Sanaa.

Unjust Trial

In a blog post on Facebook, prominent lawyer Abdul Majeed Sabra highlighted the concerning case of Adnan Al-Harazi, the director and owner of Prodigy Company, who has been handed a death sentence by the Houthi-affiliated Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa. Barran Press closely monitored Sabra's remarks.

Sabra further revealed that a list of individuals, including approximately 16 individuals sentenced to death in absentia, was attached to his post, shedding light on the gravity of the situation.

According to Sabra, the detainees who received death sentences were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, enduring nine months of forced isolation in solitary confinement cells. They were denied visitation rights and communication, while the court failed to ensure their right to a fair trial.

The charges of "collaborating with aggression" were the pretext used by the Houthi group to impose death sentences on the 44 individuals, as stated by Sabra. The group frequently employs these charges to eliminate its opponents, exploiting its judicial authority to achieve its objectives.

Since gaining control over the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, the Houthi group has tightened its grip on judicial institutions, using them as tools to target dissidents, including activists, politicians, and even businessmen and women who express opposition or disagreement.

The SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties has documented nearly 150 discretionary death sentences issued by the Houthi group against opponents or violators through the exceptional courts under their control in Sanaa over varying periods.

Earlier, the Security Council Group of Experts on Yemen accused the Houthi group of utilizing the judiciary as a means to suppress opponents, intimidate political adversaries, and bolster their political capital for use in negotiations.

In its third annual report, the Group of Experts affirmed that the Supreme Court in Sanaa, under Houthi control, has witnessed a significant rise in conviction rates and the imposition of death penalties, although the penalty has not been executed in most cases.