On January 13, 2025, human rights sources reported the death of 18-year-old Issam Al-Zarf in the custody of the Iran-backed Houthi group, just one day after his abduction. Al-Zarf was taken from his farm in Bani Hashish, east of Sana'a, and died in a Houthi prison on January 12, 2025.

Fahmi Al-Zubairi, Director General of Human Rights in the capital, confirmed Al-Zarf's death on X, noting the young man was abducted and his farm looted by Houthi militants. Al-Zubairi highlighted over 140 detainees' deaths from torture in Houthi prisons.

In a previous interview with Barran Press, Al-Zubairi revealed 400 detainees had died under torture in Sana'a alone. Rights Radar's 2021 report documented 271 deaths from torture in prisons, with 205 in Houthi-controlled facilities, plus 25 due to medical neglect.