Barran Press
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) reported on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, that the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal in Sana'a, controlled by the Houthi group designated as a terrorist organization, issued a ruling last Monday, increasing the prison sentence of journalist Nabil Al-Sadawi to nine years from eight.
In a post on X, monitored by "Barran Press," the ACJ urged the Houthi group to "stop using the judiciary as a means to persecute political opponents and tighten sanctions."
The center demanded "the release of all detainees, the cessation of illegal trials, and the end of violations of the basic rights of political prisoners."
The Houthi group had abducted journalist Nabil Mohammed Al-Sadawi, an employee of the Yemeni News Agency Saba, on September 21, 2015. He has been held captive and tortured ever since on fabricated charges, according to human rights reports.
In late January, a human rights report published by the Media Freedom Observatory revealed harrowing details about the tragic reality Al-Sadawi has endured for eight years behind bars in Houthi prisons in Sana'a.
The report, prepared by journalist Essam Balgheith, investigated the situation of journalists in Houthi prisons by highlighting the case of Al-Sadawi and the violations he has faced, contravening all national and international laws and treaties related to human rights.
The report documented Al-Sadawi's unlawful arrest, his enforced disappearance, and the denial of his family's right to know his whereabouts. It also recorded the severe torture he suffered during his enforced disappearance.
According to the report, Al-Sadawi was subjected to an unfair trial, cruel treatment, physical and psychological torture, and enforced disappearance, all in violation of relevant national and international laws and conventions.
The report included testimonies from individuals who shared Al-Sadawi's imprisonment, describing his beatings, suspension from iron bars, electric shocks, dousing with cold water, and other forms of torture that no one could withstand. It also included testimonies from his family and his defense attorney.
The report documented the deliberate medical negligence Al-Sadawi endured, based on a document issued by the prosecution under Houthi control.
The report documented testimonies confirming that Al-Sadawi's Houthi trial was illegal and deviated from established legal procedures in investigations and trial sessions.
The report recommended that relevant national and international bodies intervene to rescue Al-Sadawi from the tragic situation he has endured for over eight years.
Amnesty International had previously called on the Houthi group to immediately release Al-Sadawi upon the completion of his eight-year sentence, following a trial it described as "unjust."
In a statement issued on September 21, 2023, the organization stated, "Today marks the end of the sentence of journalist Nabil Al-Sadawi, who was sentenced to eight years in prison after an extremely unfair trial. We call on the Houthi authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally."
The statement added that the Houthi group had arrested Al-Sadawi on September 21, 2015, and fabricated numerous serious charges against him, including working with the "Saudi aggression." They also "forced him to sign a fabricated confession written by their security forces."
The organization asserted that the Houthi authorities continue to employ repressive tactics to stifle freedom of expression and media and silence peaceful dissent in areas under their control.