Barran Press
On October 31, 2024, the rights organization "Sam" for Rights and Freedoms, in collaboration with the "Charter of Justice for Yemen" coalition and various Yemeni civil society organizations, submitted a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The letter condemns the Houthi movement, designated as a terrorist organization, for its violations of human rights in Yemen, particularly concerning the denial of fair trial rights to detainees.
The letter details numerous violations perpetrated by the Houthis since the onset of the conflict in 2011, including the arbitrary arrest and abduction of hundreds of individuals from their homes and workplaces, enforced disappearances, and the obstruction of family and human rights organizations from contacting them.
It highlights the "psychological and physical torture" inflicted on detainees and the issuance of approximately 550 death sentences by Houthi-controlled courts, primarily targeting political opponents. The letter further notes the denial of detainees' rights to legal representation and the conduct of sham trials lacking international justice standards.
The report emphasizes that death sentences issued by Houthi courts were often based on expedited procedures that failed to meet even minimal fair trial standards, both in armed conflict and ordinary circumstances. It also criticizes the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council for not adhering to fair trial standards before or during legal proceedings.
Quoting the October 2024 report "Years of Hell" from "Sam," which includes documented testimonies from former detainees released in prisoner exchanges, the letter confirms their experiences of torture and deprivation of visits and legal counsel.
The organizations expressed alarm over the recent referral of several arbitrarily detained individuals, including employees from foreign embassies and UN agencies, to the specialized prosecution on charges of espionage, without the presence of their lawyers or the opportunity to defend themselves.
The letter underscores that the continued detention and enforced disappearance of thousands by the Houthis negatively impacts their families, leaving them unable to communicate with their loved ones and causing significant psychological distress, especially during major occasions like Ramadan and holidays.
The coalition condemned the Houthi practices against detainees amid a lack of effective international response to these violations. It held international bodies accountable for neglecting the suffering of thousands and failing to exert sufficient pressure on armed groups to release Yemeni detainees.
The letter reaffirms that international humanitarian law and relevant treaties obligate armed groups to uphold human rights standards, prohibiting arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, and affirming the right to a fair trial.
The coalition called for the establishment of an independent international commission to investigate all death sentences issued on political grounds, review them to ensure justice, and advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in political and ideological cases, halting the execution of all death sentences issued through expedited processes.
Furthermore, it stressed the need to protect judicial independence, ensure justice free from political influence, and form an independent legal committee to draft new legislation in line with human rights standards that protects individuals from death sentences due to their political beliefs. The coalition also urged the release of all arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared individuals as a crucial first step towards achieving peace in Yemen.