ADEN, Yemen - The Aden Prosecutor General's Office, based in the temporary capital of Yemen, accused the Security Belt Forces, affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), of "committing legal violations, including the refusal to hand over some of its members accused of involvement in criminal cases."

In a statement sent to "Barran Press" on Sunday, September 1st, 2024, a judicial source from the Aden Prosecutor General's Office stated that the office had reviewed a recent statement issued by the Security Belt Forces in Aden, published on their official website. The statement addressed several issues that had become public concerns, including the arrest of human rights activist Sami Bawazir by the Security Belt Forces, allegedly under the supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office, according to the statement.

The source clarified that the Prosecutor General's Office had informed the public about the true nature of the cases under their direct supervision. The office asserted that they manage and oversee cases apprehended by judicial law enforcement agencies in a legal manner, following judicial arrest orders issued by them. They denied issuing an arrest warrant for activist Bawazir.

According to the source, the Prosecutor General's Office deemed the Security Belt Forces' statement "in violation of the legal procedures for arrest outlined in the law." They categorically denied issuing any arrest warrant for human rights activist Sami Bawazir, who was arrested by the Security Belt Forces, affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, in Aden last week.

The Prosecutor's Office indicated that the Security Belt Forces had refused to hand over their members involved in criminal cases to the Prosecutor General's Office, despite directives and coercive orders issued by the Prosecutor General to the Security Belt commander to surrender them. The office expressed hope that these orders would be executed to allow both parties to continue working and coordinating in accordance with the law.

In this context, memos issued by the Prosecutor's Office revealed coercive arrest warrants against individuals, including the commander of the Security Belt Forces in the Al-Buraiqah directorate and his subordinates.

In response, a source from the Prosecutor General's Office stated that "compliance with legal and judicial procedures requires the Security Belt Forces and security agencies, which are considered judicial law enforcement agencies, to execute arrest orders issued by the Prosecutor General's Office, the Attorney General, or the Minister of Justice, based on clear complaints and written reports substantiated by evidence against any accused."

The source pointed out that the Security Belt Forces' statement regarding Sami Bawazir's case did not specify the charges against him, merely stating that the investigation was ongoing. This raised doubts about the validity of their claim that the arrest was made under the Prosecutor General's Office's instructions. The source emphasized that "no individual can be arrested or imprisoned except by order of the legally competent judicial authorities, and detainees must be treated in a manner that preserves their human dignity. They cannot be physically or mentally harmed."

The source further explained that "no individual can be imprisoned except in official prisons designated for that purpose. No prison warden can admit anyone into the prison except pursuant to a signed order from the competent authority, and they cannot be kept beyond the period specified in this order."

The source clarified that filing lawsuits in criminal cases or taking action in such cases must be based on a written request from the Minister of Justice for crimes specified by law.

The source stated that judicial law enforcement officers are obligated to hear the accused's statement immediately. If they do not provide evidence of their innocence, they must be transferred to the competent Prosecutor General's Office within 24 hours. The Prosecutor General's Office will then interrogate them within this timeframe and order their arrest or release, according to the provisions of the law. This did not happen in Sami Bawazir's case.

On Saturday, August 31st, 2024, the Security Belt Forces in Aden stated that they "always strive to follow legal procedures for arrest, search, and investigation, under the guidance and supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office in all cases, including the case of the so-called (Sami Bawazir)."

According to a statement published on their official Facebook page, the forces indicated that they were continuing their investigation into the charges against Bawazir and would submit the case file to the Prosecutor's Office after completing the necessary procedures.

The Security Belt Forces' statement mentioned that "many suspicious pages on social media have recently disseminated false and misleading information as part of numerous campaigns targeting the leadership and forces of the Security Belt and security agencies in general. This is a natural consequence of the successes and achievements our forces have achieved on the ground, most recently the uncovering of numerous Houthi intelligence cells and the arrest of many gangs responsible for chaos and crime that target the capital Aden."

The statement asserted that "it is clear to everyone that many malicious campaigns targeting our forces, as well as Brigadier General Jalal Al-Rubaie, came after the arrest of several suspects. We can describe this as a 'hornet's nest,' prompting those media outlets affiliated with those corrupt and disruptive individuals to defend them by distorting the truth, defaming the honest, and targeting our security forces. This is clear evidence of the correctness of the path we are on."

In their statement, the Security Belt Forces denied the existence of a list of wanted individuals among their ranks, considering it a clear insult to the security agencies and their leadership. They stated that these allegations were false and completely untrue.

On Friday, August 23rd, 2024, local sources reported that the Security Belt Forces, affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, had abducted Sami Bawazir, an activist in the Southern Movement, in Aden, the temporary capital of the country.

The sources told "Barran Press" that the Security Belt Forces, led by STC leader Jalal Al-Rubaie, abducted Sami Omar Bawazir, a Southern Movement activist in Aden, from the Kaltex roundabout in the Mansoura district early Friday morning.

They explained that the Security Belt Forces took Bawazir to the Nasr prison due to his social media activities. They stated that Sami had previously joined the Southern Transitional Council after being a leader in the Southern Movement.