Barran Press
A Michigan-based human rights organization on Saturday expressed grave concern over a widespread campaign of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances by the Houthi group in Yemen's central Ibb Governorate.
This campaign has reportedly led to the abduction of 40 individuals and the displacement of 70 others, primarily academics and medical professionals.
According to a statement from the American Center for Justice (ACJ) seen by Bran Press, the campaign began with individual detentions in May 2025 and escalated significantly in June with mass raids. These operations have specifically targeted dozens of civilians, including doctors, lawyers, university professors, engineers, and activists.
The ACJ stated it has received lists containing the names of 41 abducted individuals, among them prominent Yemeni figures such as Dr. Ahmed Yassin, lawyer Faisal Al-Shuwaie, and university professor Abdo Yahya. The center views this as evidence of a systematic repressive policy designed to stifle dissent and intimidate civilians.
The intensifying Houthi pursuit and arrest operations have reportedly forced approximately 70 academic and social figures to flee Ibb Governorate. These individuals, fearing persecution and arrest, have become direct targets of the group.
The campaign has impacted several districts, including Al-Dhahar, Al-Udayn, Al-Sayyani, Dhi Al-Sufal, and Mudhaykhira. Notable arrests include Professor Abdullah Ghanem Thawaba and teacher Mukhtar Al-Shaghdari on May 19, followed by Professors Abdulalim Naji and Yasser Al-Rahami on June 10.
The crackdown reached its peak between June 16 and 30, with 20 abductions recorded, including Dr. Tawfiq Al-Atafi and 70-year-old engineer Ghanem Al-Maamari. The arrests continued into July, with Zaid Al-Samawi and Taha Othman abducted on July 2, signaling an ongoing and unchecked repressive approach.
The ACJ condemns these actions as a blatant violation of international conventions, specifically citing Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits torture and arbitrary detention. The center also asserts that these practices fall under crimes against humanity as defined by Article 7 of the Rome Statute.
The American Center for Justice is urgently appealing to the international community, including the United Nations and the international coalition, to intervene immediately and halt these violations. The ACJ advocates for the formation of an independent international investigation committee to uncover secret detention sites and to impose sanctions on Houthi leadership.
Additionally, the center calls upon the legitimate Yemeni government to uphold its constitutional obligations to protect its citizens' rights, put an end to the Houthi group's violations, and take responsibility for this grave humanitarian crisis.
Separately, the "Rased for Rights and Freedoms" organization previously reported a broad Houthi abduction campaign in Ibb Governorate, targeting dozens of civilians across various districts and subjecting them to extensive interrogations at the Political Security building. In a statement seen by Bran Press, Rased confirmed it had been tracking the Houthi abduction campaign in Ibb for a month, noting that 33 individuals, including doctors, academics, lawyers, and teachers, had been abducted. The organization also highlighted that the group is reportedly threatening victims' families to prevent them from publicizing information about the abductions.