Barran Press
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, human rights sources reported that the father of 9-year-old Jannat Taher Al-Siyaghi is currently held in a Houthi prison in Sana'a. He faces significant pressure to withdraw his case regarding the assault on his daughter.
According to the sources, Al-Siyaghi was detained at the Appeals Prosecutor's Office after appearing there with his lawyer to request that the case be escalated. An unnamed judge ordered the detention, and security personnel at the prosecutor's office imprisoned him following a contentious exchange.
Attempts by Al-Siyaghi's lawyer to persuade the judge to retract the detention order were met with threats and refusal. The judge justified the imprisonment by alleging that Al-Siyaghi had insulted him, a claim denied by sources who suggest it is part of the ongoing pressure for him to drop the case.
For weeks, Al-Siyaghi has reportedly faced immense pressure, including demands to stop posting about the case on social media and to publicly apologize in various media, asserting that "the perpetrator is not affiliated with the group and has no connections to them."
The sources indicated that the pressure is being exerted by Ali Najad, a Houthi leader and the head of the Fourth Security Zone, who is also the brother of the alleged perpetrator. Al-Siyaghi has consistently refused these pressures and past financial offers to abandon the case, insisting on pursuing justice for his daughter, who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Najad.
On October 12, 2024, the Specialized Primary Criminal Court in Sana'a sentenced the perpetrator, Ahmad Hassan Najad, to 15 years in prison and ordered him to pay 6 million riyals in compensation to Al-Siyaghi's family. This verdict sparked widespread public outrage, particularly from Al-Siyaghi, who called for solidarity among Yemenis and demanded the death penalty for the perpetrator.
In a widely circulated video seen by Barran Press, Al-Siyaghi, accompanied by numerous citizens, is seen demanding the execution of Najad outside the court. He claims the ruling contradicts Islamic law and accuses the judiciary of corruption. Al-Siyaghi expresses his belief that Judge Yahya Mansour had acted unlawfully, implying collusion in the case.
The lawyer for Jannat, Tawfiq Al-Asadi, condemned the verdict as unjust, stating that it fails to align with any divine law or earthly statute. He emphasized that the appropriate punishment for Najad should be death as retribution for his crimes.
In mid-June, Ahmad Hassan Najad abducted Jannat Taher Abdul Wahid Al-Siyaghi and subsequently sexually assaulted her in the Artil area of Sanhan District, Sana'a Governorate.