SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that "Mohammed Jamal Ahmed Shehab" died in the prisons of the Fifth Brigade in Lahj Governorate, which is affiliated with the Transitional Council supported by the United Arab Emirates. An urgent investigation should be opened, and those involved should be referred to the judicial authorities.
Sam, according to its statement, indicated that the United Arab Emirates bears subsidiary responsibility for its continuous support to those forces by providing them with funds and weapons that assist these individuals in carrying out their violations.
The organization, in a statement issued today, Sunday, highlighted its monitoring of the incident of the execution of the citizen "Mohammed Jamal Ahmed Shehab," 31 years old, by soldiers affiliated with the Security Belt Forces. He was executed at his workplace where he repairs air conditioners and refrigerators on the previous Tuesday. His family was informed two days later that his body was found at Ibn Khaldoun Hospital.
According to the testimony of the deceased's brother to the "Sam" team, he said, "My brother was abducted last Tuesday while he was at his own shop, where he repairs air conditioners and refrigerators. A military vehicle carrying soldiers affiliated with the Fifth Brigade in Lahj, which is part of the Transitional Council, arrived and took him to an unknown location without any reason and without letting us knowing the details of the incident." He added, "After two days, we were informed that my brother's body was in one of the local hospitals."
The organization confirms, according to testimonies, the presence of signs of torture throughout the victim's body, including his hands, legs, and even his testicles, where clear evidence of severe torture leading to death is evident. Afterwards, he was transferred to the hospital's morgue.
"SAM" affirms that the torture inflicted upon the citizen "Mohammed Shahab" is not an isolated incident. The Security Belt Forces have a record filled with multiple and serious violations, including torture and field executions against civilians. The organization also confirms that it has seen photos and a video of the victim's body, which reveal significant parts of his body covered with signs of torture, marks, wounds, and burns.
SAM stated that the Yemeni authorities should conduct a serious investigation into the complaints related to torture crimes and ensure the judicial process is respected. They called on the Attorney General to open a file regarding the torture in the case of "Mohammed Shehab" and provide all guarantees for the violators to comply with Yemeni law and ensure an effective right to justice for the families of the victims.
According to the Yemeni law, torture of a suspect or treating them in an inhuman manner or causing physical or psychological harm to force a confession is prohibited. It is considered a non-prescriptive crime, meaning it does not expire with time, and it requires punishment for anyone who practices, orders, or participates in it, in accordance with Article (47), paragraph (h), of the Constitution.
In response to the abduction and killing of the citizen "Shehab," Tawfiq Al-Hamidi, the President of SAM Organization for Rights and Freedoms, stated, "The repeated incidents of abduction, arbitrary detention, and field executions carried out by individuals affiliated with various parties to the conflict leave no room for doubt that the policy of these parties is to target civilians who do not comply with their orders.
The frequent cases we document confirm the criminal mentality of these parties in deliberately committing violations against civilians without any legal justification."
He further added, "The United Arab Emirates bears criminal and legal responsibility for the escalating violations against civilians in the areas under its control. The international community also bears responsibility for its silence and negative stance towards the recurrence of these incidents, which involve serious violations of international law."
SAM, on its part, confirms that these practices constitute a blatant violation of a range of legal principles, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. These instruments have explicitly criminalized attacks on the right to life, physical integrity, and freedom from arbitrary detention. Sam affirms that the Transitional Council and the United Arab Emirates are condemned for violating these legal principles.
SAM concluded its statement by calling on the Transitional Council and the leadership of the Fifth Brigade to ensure that those involved in the killing of the citizen "Mohammed Shehab" are brought to fair trial. It emphasized its repeated demand for all parties to the conflict to cease their violations and hold individuals accountable for serious violations and crimes. It also renewed its call to the United Arab Emirates to immediately halt its full support for armed groups and withdraw from the state of Yemen.
The international organization also urged the international community to intervene and provide full protection for civilians, and to compel all parties to the conflict to cease their
repeated violations against civilians. It called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate the repercussions of the repeated violations committed by these parties.