The SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that it has received a documented report containing information included in the International Experts’ Team report on serious violations committed within detention facilities controlled by the Houthi group. The data confirm the involvement of Abdul Qader Al-Murtada, in his capacity as Head of the Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, and his deputy Murad Qasim in acts constituting serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, most of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.
SAM emphasized that the experts’ report explicitly points to the direct and leadership responsibility of Al-Murtada and his deputy for acts of torture, cruel treatment, and enforced disappearance inside “Beit Al-Tabadul” prison and the Central Security Camp in Sana’a. These violations are absolutely prohibited under the 1984 Convention Against Torture and Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions. They also constitute acts falling under Article 7 (crimes against humanity) and Article 8 (war crimes) of the Rome Statute due to their systematic nature, repetition, and connection to the group’s general policy.
SAM stated that the continued presence of Al-Murtada and his deputy in managing the prisoners’ file contradicts the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and is incompatible with any obligation to protect persons deprived of their liberty. Evidence indicates that their position has politicized the detainee file, obstructed the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, and hindered at least three negotiation rounds by keeping detainees off official lists, forcibly disappearing others, and exploiting the file for political bargaining, in clear violation of the parties’ obligations under Additional Protocol II of 1977.
The UN report documented that Al-Murtada or individuals under his authority engaged in practices including:
Physical and psychological torture, including electric shocks, severe beatings, and suspension.
Sexual violence, which constitutes a grave violation absolutely prohibited under international law.
Enforced disappearance, a standalone crime under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Forcing detainees to give confessions under duress and photographing them, violating the principle of non-self-incrimination and the right to defense and a fair trial.
Issuing death sentences in trials lacking basic guarantees, as in the case of four journalists.
SAM stressed that these practices represent individual and leadership responsibility under Article 28 of the Rome Statute, which holds commanders and leaders accountable if they knew—or should have known—about crimes committed by subordinates and failed to take effective measures to prevent them or punish the perpetrators.
Based on the above, SAM calls for an immediate halt to any contact or engagement with Abdul Qader Al-Murtada and his deputy Murad Qasim. They must be excluded from all roles related to detainee management, oversight of detention, or any negotiation process concerning exchanges, as their involvement in serious violations undermines neutrality and credibility and creates a fundamental conflict of interest with their current position. The violations must also be referred to relevant international mechanisms, including UN Special Rapporteurs, while applying the principle of universal jurisdiction in countries where domestic law allows prosecution of serious violations committed abroad. Simultaneously, international protection guarantees for detainees should be enforced, and independent monitoring mechanisms must have unrestricted access to detention facilities to ensure minimum humanitarian and human rights standards.
SAM concluded that the continued involvement of a person implicated in serious violations in managing the detainees’ file constitutes a fundamental breach of protection duties and is a direct cause of obstruction in this file. Respect for international humanitarian law requires the immediate exclusion of Al-Murtada and the end of impunity.