Barran Press
The internationally recognized Yemeni government on Thursday, September 5, 2024, accused the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, of systematically draining Yemen of its intellectual capital. The government claims that since their coup, the Houthis have implemented a strategy to weaken Yemen's educational system, including cutting salaries of university professors and teachers, harassing them, forcing 90% of academics out of their university housing, and even kidnapping them, accusing them of espionage.
In a statement released by the official Saba news agency, Yemen's Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar Al-Eryani, denounced the Houthis' actions. He characterized the fabricated espionage charges against academics and experts, often accompanied by coerced confessions broadcast on Houthi-controlled media, as a "systematic plan" designed to "eliminate and terrorize Yemeni minds" and force remaining intellectuals to flee the country. This, he asserted, mirrors the tactics employed by the Iranian regime after the Islamic Revolution and its affiliated militias in Iraq and Lebanon.
Al-Eryani called upon all Yemenis to "stand united in condemning these dangerous practices" and resist the Houthi's "plot to drain Yemen of its intellect and expertise." He urged the international community to take a firm stance against these violations of international law and human rights, demanding strong and deterrent measures against the Houthis for their crimes. He also called for the immediate designation of the Houthi group as a global terrorist organization and for international support to enable the Yemeni government to restore control, security, and stability across the country.
Al-Eryani cited international reports on Iran and its affiliated groups in Iraq and Lebanon as examples of the systematic elimination, terrorization, and displacement of intellectuals, leading to a significant loss of their academic and skilled workforce.
Last Sunday, September 1, the Houthis broadcast a video on their media platforms titled "Extensive Confessions of the American-Israeli Espionage Network Targeting Education in Yemen." This video, similar to previous ones, featured several detainees claiming to have targeted education in Yemen on behalf of the United States and Israel.
One of those featured was Dr. Mohammed Hatem al-Makhlafi (65), a strategic expert in general education systems and literacy in Yemen, a faculty member, and dean of several colleges of education at Sana'a University. He was kidnapped from his home on October 12, 2023, and held incommunicado before being presented as a "spy" on Houthi media.