SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that the appearance of individuals believed to be former detainees of secret prisons in Aden has raised renewed and serious concerns about the integrity of ongoing investigations and poses troubling questions about the persistence of impunity, amid indications that unlawful detention sites remain beyond accountability.
The organization said it had reviewed circulating videos and photos showing two individuals—one reportedly from Al Hudaydah and the other from Shar’ab in Taiz—who appeared severely exhausted, bearing visible marks of restraint, and showing signs of fear and psychological distress shortly before being handed over to police authorities. SAM noted that these indicators are consistent with previously documented patterns of grave violations, including enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, and ill-treatment.
SAM emphasized that this incident reinforces concerns that the actors responsible for such violations may still control parts of the security landscape and operate secret detention facilities, undermining the rule of law and rendering national accountability efforts hollow. The continued operation of such parallel structures not only threatens victims’ rights but also erodes public trust in justice institutions and deepens legal fragility.
The organization further pointed out that the investigative path announced by the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council remains ineffective and incapable of fulfilling its mandate, particularly in terms of ensuring independence, transparency, and protection for witnesses and victims. The slow pace of procedures and absence of tangible results, SAM said, raise doubts about the ability to dismantle unlawful detention systems or hold those responsible to account.
SAM stressed that the current stage requires moving beyond limited approaches toward a more comprehensive judicial process with broader jurisdiction, capable of accessing all detention sites, collecting and analyzing evidence in line with international standards, including the involvement of specialized technical expertise in documenting patterns of torture and enforced disappearance, while ensuring non-interference in the course of investigations.
The organization called for the establishment of an independent international investigative mechanism with a clear mandate and technical capacity to uncover the truth, deliver justice for victims, and end recurring cycles of abuse. It underscored that justice is not merely procedural but a necessary condition for restoring public trust, and that any political settlement not grounded in accountability risks reproducing violence.
Tawfiq Al-Humaidi, Chairman of SAM for Rights and Liberties, said: “The appearance of former detainees in such an alarming condition is not an isolated incident, but a warning bell that the system of secret detention has not yet been dismantled. The time has come to move from promises to real accountability, and from formal investigations to an independent mechanism capable of revealing the full truth, ensuring that victims are not left hostage to denial or oblivion.”
In its conclusion, SAM reiterated that protecting victims, uncovering the fate of the forcibly disappeared, and holding perpetrators accountable are not merely human rights demands but legal and moral obligations that must not be compromised. The organization warned that ignoring or circumventing these violations risks perpetuating a climate of impunity and undermines any prospect for a just and sustainable peace in Yemen.