SAM organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the alarming escalation in arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance campaigns carried out by warring parties across various regions of Yemen—targeting civilians, journalists, activists, and academics, —constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights and international laws. SAM emphasized that these violations reflect an increasing pattern of repression and silencing of voices and pose a threat to social peace in Yemen.
The organization pointed out that the violations occurring in Yemen constitute serious breaches of international human rights laws, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Geneva Conventions, and the United Nations Charter. It stressed that the continuation of these practices undermines fundamental rights, directly affects the stability of the country, and further complicates the security and political situation.
Review of Incidents
1. Kidnapping of Abu Al-Fadl Al-Shawish in Raymah
On March 22, 2025, a masked armed group raided the home of citizen Abu Al-Fadl Al-Shawish in Raymah Governorate and kidnapped him to an unknown location without any legal justification. According to his family, Al-Shawish is a well-known social reformer with no political involvement, making his abduction a condemned act that violates local customs and traditions.
2. Enforced Disappearance of Journalist Ahmed Awadhah
Reports indicate that journalist Ahmed Awadhah was forcibly disappeared in the capital, Sana’a, on March 10, 2025, after receiving threats from a member of the Houthi intelligence apparatus. He was released on March 26, 2025, after more than two weeks of enforced disappearance, without any justification for his arrest.
3. Arrest of Researcher and Historian Arafat Al-Hadhrami
On March 27, 2025, Houthi militia stormed the house of researcher and historian Arafat Abdulrahman Al-Hadhrami, Director of the Manuscripts Office in the city of Zabid, Al-Hudaydah Governorate, and took him to an unknown location. Sources indicate that Al-Hadhrami was previously arrested in 2018 and later released. His re-arrest without legal grounds reflects the ongoing targeting of intellectuals and academics.
4. Arrest Campaign Against Civilians in Sana’a and Sa’ada on Charges of “Espionage”
On March 26 and 27, 2025, the Houthi group launched a wide arrest campaign targeting dozens of civilians in Sana’a and Sa’ada, accusing them of “espionage for American aircraft” following airstrikes on Houthi sites. Informed sources reported that the group's security forces detained more than 75 people, some merely for using their phones during the raids, while others were accused of communicating with foreign entities.
5. Kidnapping of Bank Employees in Sana’a
On March 27, 2025, Houthi militia kidnapped five bank employees while they were leaving the capital, Sana’a, and took them to an unknown location. Reports suggest the incident is part of a broader policy to tighten the noose on the banking sector and extort its workers under flimsy pretexts.
6. Arrest of Abdulrahman Al-Muqadhi in Marib
On March 6, 2025, security authorities in Marib arrested the injured Abdulrahman Al-Muqadhi after he provided humanitarian aid to the wounded and detained him in the Military Intelligence prison. His wife reported that he was subjected to harsh treatment—denied medication, food, and clean clothes—despite his physical disability. He was released on March 27, 2025.
7. Arrest of Civilians in Sana’a for Obtaining Passports from Aden
In March 2025, activist Mansour Al-Jaradi reported that the Anti-Terrorism Forces in Sana’a arrested his cousins, Mahmoud and Ali, after raiding their family home in Habrah. They were accused of traveling to Aden to obtain a passport, accompanied by a friend whose father is affiliated with the legitimate government, which Houthi security authorities considered a “security suspicion.”
Legal Analysis of the Violations
The violations committed against civilians in Yemen—whether through arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, or restrictions on freedom of expression—constitute blatant breaches of both national and international laws, including international human rights standards that guarantee protection from all forms of unlawful detention.
SAM asserted that arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance violate the fundamental right to liberty and personal security guaranteed by Article 9 of the ICCPR. This article obligates signatory states to prevent arbitrary arrests and requires that detainees be promptly informed of the reasons for their detention and have the right to challenge their arrest before an independent court. Enforced disappearance, which deprives individuals of the right to know their fate or whereabouts, is another violation under the Covenant.
The organization affirmed that detaining individuals without trial violates the basic principles of fair trial rights, as stipulated in Article 14 of the ICCPR, which guarantees individuals the right to a fair and public hearing before an independent tribunal.
Restrictions on freedom of expression are among the most serious violations under the ongoing repression targeting free voices in Yemen. According to Article 19 of the Covenant, every individual has the right to freely express their opinions— a right that must be protected from any attempt by authorities to restrict or suppress it. Consequently, attacking journalists and media activists for exercising this right constitutes a grave violation.
SAM noted that international humanitarian law obliges all parties to a conflict to respect individual rights during armed conflicts. This includes protecting civilians from acts of reprisal, arbitrary detention, torture, or cruel treatment. The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, which governs civilian protection in armed conflicts, prohibits the use of civilians as hostages or targeting them for any military or political purpose.
Call for Urgent Action
SAM calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained individuals, including journalists, researchers, activists, and civilians who were abducted without legal grounds. The organization emphasized that the continued practice of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial detention is an unacceptable and egregious violation of fundamental rights. Every detainee must be granted the right to a fair trial in accordance with international standards, rather than remain the victim of arbitrary decisions by illegitimate actors.
The organization also calls for an immediate end to campaigns of repression and intimidation targeting journalists and media workers. A democratic society cannot be built, nor can political stability be achieved, while free voices are silenced, journalism is criminalized, and intimidation and abduction are used to suppress the truth.
SAM stressed the need for independent, transparent international investigations into all recorded violations and for those responsible to be held accountable. It warned that impunity encourages the repetition of crimes and exacerbates the suffering of victims and their families. This necessitates a serious commitment from the international community to ensure justice for perpetrators of such crimes—whether they be official authorities, armed groups, or foreign-backed forces.
Furthermore, the legitimate Yemeni government bears responsibility for protecting the rights of its citizens and ensuring they are not subjected to arbitrary arrest or unlawful prosecution. It is unacceptable for Yemenis to be kidnapped or detained based on their political background, opinions, or even unknown reasons, while the authorities remain silent or incapable of intervening. A firm stance must be taken to end these violations, restore the rule of law, and prevent security forces from being used as tools of political repression.
Finally, the organization calls on the United Nations and the international community to urgently and effectively intervene to pressure all parties involved in the violations to respect human rights in Yemen and to take concrete steps to halt these crimes—whether through sanctions on individuals and entities responsible or by supporting monitoring and accountability mechanisms. SAM emphasized that achieving peace and stability in Yemen is impossible as long as systematic human rights abuses continue.