On Thursday, October 3, 2024, the SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties announced that it has documented "32 violations of personal freedoms" in the Yemeni provinces of Sana'a and Aden from 2015 to 2023, with many of the accusations stemming from alleged "affiliation with the Islah Party."

This revelation came in an investigative report titled "Years of Hell," focusing on cases of enforced disappearance and torture of political detainees in Yemen. The report is part of a broader project monitoring justice to advocate for legal reform and human rights in the country.

SAM stated that all documented victims were civilians who experienced "arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture." The organization noted that these cases shared several characteristics, primarily that they were politically motivated, occurred without judicial orders, and the victims were not informed of the reasons for their detention.

The report highlighted that detainees were often forcibly disappeared in the initial days or months following their arrest, facing similar charges centered around political affiliation, predominantly membership in the Islah Party, alleged collaboration with the Saudi-led coalition, and accusations of disrupting public peace due to their writings. The report also noted widespread violations of rights, including prohibiting detainees from family visits and denying them the right to defense, alongside the looting and confiscation of their properties.

This systematic approach to enforced disappearance is viewed as a form of psychological torture, violating international human rights and humanitarian laws. The report attributed 88% of the documented violations to the Houthi movement, which has been implicated in most cases of enforced disappearance and torture against detainees with political ties to various Yemeni parties.

According to the organization, most detainees were interrogated about their political affiliations and ideological leanings, with these inquiries repeated in various forms throughout the investigation, involving both psychological and physical torture methods. After extracting "confessions under torture," these statements were reportedly used as evidence in court, leading to convictions based on fabricated charges linked to the victims' political beliefs.

The report underscores that both warring parties in Yemen have employed severe torture methods in detention centers in both Sana'a and Aden, characterized by systematic abuse that has inflicted significant physical and psychological pain on victims, aimed at achieving results from the torture and extracting evidence.

The findings suggest a shared methodology in torture practices among the conflicting parties, with repeated incidents of abuse and theft of victims' families' assets by Houthi leaders who mislead the victims' families into believing their loved ones would be released.

The report also addressed the "arbitrary" arrests of numerous Yemeni employees working for United Nations agencies and international and local NGOs in Sana'a since May 31, 2024, warning that such actions directly threaten humanitarian efforts and civil society initiatives in the country.

SAM pointed out that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture have been longstanding practices among the warring factions in Yemen, used to silence dissent and instill fear in the population while imposing a status quo through force.

The organization criticized the "biased" judicial procedures, stating that they represent a severe violation of human rights in Yemen, as all trials documented by SAM under Houthi judicial authority are based on dubious accusations and lack any legal procedures.

Notably, SAM referenced a previous statistic indicating that over 550 death sentences have been issued by courts affiliated with the Houthi movement.

In light of these findings, SAM has called on the Yemeni government to conduct a transparent, comprehensive, and impartial investigation into allegations of human rights violations, including political detention, enforced disappearance, and torture.

The organization urged for full and unhindered access for international and independent observers to Yemen, including prisons and detention centers managed by various security and military forces, including the Houthi movement and the Southern Transitional Council.

Finally, SAM emphasized the need to provide justice for victims of unlawful practices and their families, advocating for compensation, restitution of rights, rehabilitation, and guarantees against recurrence throughout Yemen.