Barran Press
The Baha'i International Community (BIC) announced on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, that the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, has released the last four Baha'i detainees held captive for over a year.
In a statement published on the BIC website, the organization confirmed the release of the four Baha'is: Abd al-Ilah al-Buni, Muhammad Bashir, Ibrahim Juwail, and Hassan Thabit.
The statement hailed the release as a "development that concludes a shameful chapter that began in May 2023, when masked gunmen from the Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen violently raided a private home and abducted 17 innocent Baha'is."
The statement emphasized that the released individuals faced "intense pressure, ultimately unsuccessful, to renounce their faith through forced participation in 'cultural sessions' conducted by Houthi agents, which amounted to forced indoctrination attempts."
Saba Hadad, the BIC representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stated: "The Baha'i International Community welcomes the release of these four Yemeni Baha'is."
"We are relieved that this dark, unjust, and absurd chapter has finally ended," Hadad added, noting that "these 17 Baha'is should never have been arrested in the first place. The group had gathered in a private home to engage in peaceful community activity: a fundamental human right protected by international law and the freedom of religion or belief."
The Houthi's campaign of arrests against the Baha'i community last year prompted repeated calls from the international community for the release of the detained Baha'is. In August 2023, six members of the UN Security Council condemned these arrests.
Over the past 15 months, 13 of the 17 detainees were released, with the most recent being Abdullah al-Alafi, who was freed in June 2024.
Several Yemeni tribal leaders and religious figures played a key role in securing the release of the detained Baha'is. Despite ongoing efforts, the Baha'i community in areas under Houthi control in Yemen continues to face persecution, with members denied freedom of assembly and the right to practice their faith.