Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that the appointment of Jalal Al-Rubaie as Commander of the Special Forces Sector in Aden, after previously serving as Commander of the Security Belt Forces, raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to the principles of accountability and the fight against impunity, particularly in light of allegations of serious human rights violations associated with some security formations over the past years.

The organization explained that any decision to assign senior security positions to individuals suspected of involvement in cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, or the management of unofficial detention centers must be preceded by an independent and transparent investigation that guarantees victims’ right to access justice and upholds the principle of equality before the law.

SAM affirmed that recycling security leaders without subjecting them to professional and legal vetting procedures sends a negative message to victims and their families and undermines public trust in state institutions, foremost among them the declarations and decisions of the Presidential Leadership Council to hold those involved in human rights violations accountable, especially in the city of Aden, where many violation cases remain open without effective accountability.

The organization stressed that building a professional, law-abiding security institution requires strict adherence to human rights standards and refraining from assigning leadership positions to any official suspected of involvement in serious violations until an independent judicial ruling on those allegations is reached. State stability cannot be achieved by overlooking past files, but rather by addressing them on fair legal grounds.

SAM called on the Yemeni government to announce a clear and independent mechanism to review the records of security and military leaders and to ensure the involvement of independent judicial bodies in any investigations related to allegations of violations, in line with Yemen’s international human rights obligations.

The organization concluded its statement by emphasizing that delivering justice to victims, uncovering the truth, and providing redress constitute a legal and moral obligation that must not be bypassed under any political or security pretext, and that any genuine reform process must begin with the principle of non-impunity and respect for human dignity.