Barran Press
Rights Radar, an international human rights organization, has issued a strong condemnation of the Houthi group's use of the judiciary system for political repression and the confiscation of assets. In a statement released on Sunday, July 28th, the organization demanded the annulment of all legal proceedings, both in absentia and in person, against hundreds of civilians in Houthi-controlled areas. The organization claims these charges are baseless and driven by clear political motives.
Rights Radar, based in Amsterdam in a statement, seen by "Barran Press", highlighted the recent indictment of 105 individuals, primarily members of the general assembly of Yemen's largest charitable organization, the Social Reform Association. The association, with consultative status at the United Nations, has a history of over three decades of humanitarian and development work.
The international organization stated that the Houthi group's continued issuance of such indictments and subsequent decisions and rulings underscores their exploitation of the judiciary and prosecution apparatus as tools for political elimination and moral suppression of their opponents. They further condemned the use of judicial or security positions for personal gain and the suppression of dissent.
Rights Radar expressed its condemnation of these repressive actions and voiced concern over their continuation and potential repetition against civilians, who are effectively held hostage due to their lack of means to protest or defend themselves against fabricated charges often leading to imprisonment or execution.
The organization asserted that all decisions and rulings issued by the Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a, under Houthi control, lack legal validity. This is because the court lacks constitutional and legal legitimacy, based on a decision issued in April 2018 by the Supreme Judicial Council of the internationally recognized government that dissolved the Specialized Criminal Court under Houthi authority and transferred the Specialized Criminal Primary Court and the Specialized Appeals Chamber from Sana'a to Marib.
The issuance of such rulings, Rights Radar argued, raises genuine concerns for the lives and safety of abductees and prisoners held by the Houthi group, as they maintain complete control over the judicial system, placing the lives of detainees at real risk.
Their concerns are rooted in the tragic incident where the Houthi group executed nine abducted victims from the province of Hudaydah in Tahrir Square in the capital Sana'a on September 18, 2021. At least 70 civilians remain on death row in Houthi prisons, including 12 teachers and three university professors.
Rights Radar stated that the majority, if not all, of those subject to judicial decisions and rulings are victims of political profiling, with pre-determined charges, often leading to execution, imprisonment, or asset confiscation. This deprives them of their right to self-defense under Yemeni law.
Since their takeover of Sana'a in September 2014, Houthi authorities have issued over 641 imprisonment and execution rulings, targeting 630 men, 10 women, and one child, according to Rights Radar. Of these, 579 were sentenced to death, including six women and one child, while 62, including four women, were sentenced to imprisonment.
Rights Radar called upon international human rights organizations to leverage their legal and moral influence at all levels to halt this madness of targeting civilians in Houthi-controlled areas.
They also urged the UN Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to use his influence to intervene immediately and provide protection to victims of trials in Houthi courts. They demanded immediate intervention to overturn death sentences posing a real threat to the lives and safety of the targeted victims.
Rights Radar commended the success of local and international efforts and mediations in saving the lives of 17 victims of death sentences and their release through prisoner exchange deals with the Houthis. This includes five journalists: Yahya Abdulraqeeb al-Jubahi, Abdulkhaleq Amran, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Harith Hamid, and Akram al-Walidi. They expressed hope that these efforts will succeed in rescuing others and ensuring their safety.