Barran Press
Local sources reported on Friday, July 26, 2024, that a Houthi official in Amran province, northern Yemen, is refusing to release dozens of kidnapped wedding hall owners. The official, identified as Nayef Abu Kharafsha, is defying orders from the Public Prosecutor's Office to release the detainees.
The sources told Barran Press that Abu Kharafsha, a security official affiliated with the Houthi group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by many countries, is refusing to comply with the release orders. The wedding hall owners were initially kidnapped by the Houthis for allegedly participating in a "radical" campaign that forced wedding halls to ban music during wedding celebrations.
In May, the Houthis, under the direction of Abu Kharafsha, carried out a series of arrests and crackdowns targeting popular musicians in Amran province, preventing them from performing at wedding celebrations. They also kidnapped dozens of wedding hall owners and imprisoned them for the same reason.
While Abu Kharafsha accused the detainees of failing to comply with a previous order prohibiting music at events and weddings in Amran city, his actions have been met with widespread public and societal condemnation. Many have described his actions as "zealousness, extremism, and the confiscation of rights and personal freedoms."