Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that security forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council stormed the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque at dawn on Thursday in the Al-Shohadaa Square neighborhood of Al-Mansoura District in Aden, southern Yemen, during the presence of worshippers. The forces opened fire inside the mosque before abducting its imam and preacher, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Kazmi, and taking him to an unknown location, without any legal justification or official explanation for the arrest.

The organization reported that the perpetrators were masked and armed, causing panic and fear among the worshippers—an act that constitutes a blatant violation of the sanctity of places of worship, which is protected under international humanitarian law and various international conventions that criminalize such attacks.

SAM noted that this incident represents a clear violation of Article 48 of the Yemeni Constitution, which states: “No person may be arrested, searched, or detained except in cases of flagrante delicto or by a judicial order based on law.” Additionally, Article 76 of the Yemeni Code of Criminal Procedure requires a warrant from the public prosecution that specifies the reasons for arrest or detention. The organization further highlighted that the assault on the mosque constitutes a grave violation of the sanctity of places of worship, as criminalized by Article 12 of the same law, which states: “Homes, places of worship, and places of learning are inviolable and may not be surveilled or searched except pursuant to a reasoned order from the public prosecution.”

SAM emphasized that the persistence of such violations, particularly in the city of Aden, reflects the widespread phenomenon of impunity and the absence of functioning state institutions. It poses a serious threat to social peace and undermines public trust in the judicial system.

The organization stressed that the Public Prosecutor’s failure to act in response to this crime constitutes a dereliction of duty and sends a troubling message about the abandonment of responsibility to protect public rights and freedoms—especially amid repeated similar incidents in Aden where perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

SAM called on the Public Prosecutor to immediately launch a transparent investigation into the incident, disclose the whereabouts of Sheikh Al-Kazmi, and hold all those involved in the attack accountable. The organization also urged the international community and human rights bodies to monitor the deteriorating human rights situation in areas under the control of the Southern Transitional Council and to press for an end to the ongoing violations.