Barran Press
A recent international report details the arrests carried out by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, and their methods of repression and intimidation against dozens of Yemenis during the last week of September 2024, following peaceful celebrations and social media posts regarding the "September 26 Revolution."
The report, published by Human Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, stated that the Houthis did not formally charge those detained, constituting arbitrary detention. The organizations called for the immediate release of all individuals held solely for exercising their rights to assembly and expression, including numerous UN employees and civil society members who have been arrested and disappeared over the past four months.
According to Amna Al-Qalali, the Cairo Institute's Research Director, "The repression of protests and any activities that contradict Houthi beliefs represents an additional violation in their long record of human rights abuses with complete impunity."
The report noted that the arrests began on September 21 across several provinces, including Sana'a, Amran, Dhammar, Ibb, Al Hudaydah, Al Mahwit, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhale, and Hajjah, in an effort to prevent collective mobilization against the group.
At least 209 individuals were reportedly detained in Amran alone, including children and the elderly, with some detainees over the age of 75. Many of those arrested were minors aged 13 to 19, according to the Mothers of the Abductees Association. Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute interviewed 11 individuals, including relatives and lawyers of detainees, to gather details about the arrests. The report indicated that the Houthis had seized individuals simply for displaying the Yemeni flag or hanging it on their vehicles. One relative recounted that two of his cousins were arrested for nothing more than hanging the flag, with Houthis claiming they were celebrating the September 26 events.
The report also detailed how the Houthis arrested individuals for their online posts commemorating the revolution. One man described how five Houthi military vehicles arrived at his brother's house the day after he posted a celebratory video, leading to his arrest and subsequent transfer to a security office.
Furthermore, the report highlighted the case of a writer in Sana'a who was detained after sharing a post about the September 26 Revolution. His friend recounted that the Houthis stormed his home, frightening his family, and confiscated his devices without a warrant.
Both Human Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute emphasized that the Houthis have not provided any arrest or search warrants, violating Yemeni and international law. Other individuals have faced threats from the Houthis to deter them from commemorating the September 26 Revolution.
The report concluded that detaining anyone without a judicial order and clear charges violates Article 132 of Yemen’s Code of Criminal Procedure. The arbitrary detention without legal justification is also deemed a violation of international human rights law.
The UN Group of Experts on Yemen noted in their 2023 report numerous cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, with most violations attributed to the Houthis.
In previous years, the Houthis have also detained hundreds of protesters celebrating the September 26 Revolution. In 2023, lawyer Abdul Majid Sabra reported on Facebook that nearly 1,000 individuals were arrested in connection with the celebrations. The Sam Organization for Rights and Liberties concluded that the Houthis used excessive force against peaceful demonstrators.
Additionally, the Houthis have arbitrarily detained dozens of UN and civil society workers in Yemen since May 31, with reports indicating a rising number of detainees.
Niko Jafarneia, a Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, "The Houthis continue to call on the international community to respect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza while simultaneously violating the rights of Yemenis living under their control. They must show the Yemeni people the same respect they demand for Palestinians, starting with an end to this endless campaign of arbitrary arrests."