Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that the findings of the government committee tasked with reviewing scholarship recipients and scholarship procedures for the period 2016–2022 raise serious concerns about the integrity of the administration of Yemen's scholarship programme. The organization called for an urgent, independent criminal investigation and for all those responsible for the reported violations to be held accountable for the waste of public funds and the deprivation of eligible students of their educational opportunities.

SAM said the report revealed widespread irregularities in the management of government scholarships, including the suspension of legally mandated committees, the failure to implement the Scholarship and Educational Grants Law, and the replacement of transparent, merit-based selection procedures with personal directives and informal interventions. According to the report, the administration of the scholarship programme was characterized by "randomness and chaos."

The organization added that the report documented how personal directives had effectively replaced merit and eligibility criteria, opening the door to favoritism and personal connections. As a result, students with low academic scores or who had not passed competitive examinations were awarded scholarships, alongside irregularities in scholarship selection, extensions, and continuation decisions.

SAM further noted that the report documented cases involving forged official directives and documents, including the referral of a case involving more than 80 forged directives and signatures to the Public Funds Court. The organization stressed that these findings require a transparent judicial investigation to identify all those responsible and ensure they are held accountable.

The organization also highlighted that the report identified the issue of unauthorized additions to scholarship lists as one of the most significant irregularities. It recorded 1,565 additional scholarship entries in 2018, costing more than US$2.9 million per quarter. The report also documented 508 cases involving siblings and 284 families that collectively secured a disproportionately large number of scholarships, representing approximately 33% of all scholarship recipients, in clear violation of the principles of equality and equal opportunity.

SAM emphasized that, if substantiated, the facts contained in the report could constitute criminal offences under Yemen's Penal Code and Anti-Corruption Law, including abuse of influence, forgery, abuse of office, and the misuse of public funds. The organization therefore called on the Public Prosecutor to initiate comprehensive and independent investigations and to hold all those responsible accountable without exception.

The organization stressed that these practices constitute more than administrative or financial violations; they also represent violations of the principles of equality and non-discrimination, undermining students' right to equal opportunities and fair access to education. Publicly funded scholarships, SAM noted, are a public resource that must be allocated on the basis of merit and eligibility—not personal influence, family connections, or unofficial directives.

Tawfiq Al-Humaidi, Chairman of SAM for Rights and Liberties, said:

"When favoritism and personal connections determine access to publicly funded educational opportunities, the harm extends far beyond financial corruption. It deprives deserving students of their academic and professional futures, erodes public trust in state institutions, and violates their right to equality and equal opportunity."

SAM called on the Public Prosecutor to launch a comprehensive investigation into all the violations documented in the report covering the period 2016–2022, including personal directives, forgery, unlawful additions to scholarship lists, unjustified scholarship extensions, and cases in which relatives and families secured a disproportionate share of scholarship opportunities.

The organization further urged the prosecution of anyone found responsible for issuing or implementing unlawful directives, forging official documents, abusing public office, or facilitating scholarships for ineligible recipients, regardless of their official position or status, in accordance with the principles of equality before the law and accountability.

SAM also called for a comprehensive review of all scholarship lists covered by the report, the cancellation of scholarships and extensions granted in violation of the law, the recovery of public funds unlawfully disbursed, and the reallocation of available scholarship opportunities to eligible students through transparent, fair, and publicly announced criteria.

The organization further stressed the need to provide effective remedies for students who were unfairly excluded, including the right to appeal, the review of exclusion decisions, and appropriate redress for the harm they suffered after being displaced by ineligible beneficiaries, in line with the state's obligations to protect the right to education and guarantee equality.

SAM also called for the full publication of the government report and for the findings of investigations and judicial proceedings to be made public, emphasizing that transparency and accountability are essential to restoring confidence in the scholarship system and in the public institutions responsible for managing public resources.

In conclusion, SAM emphasized that combating corruption in the scholarship programme is not merely a financial issue but a human rights imperative, closely linked to the rights to education, equality, equal opportunity, non-discrimination, and good governance. The organization urged the competent authorities to take immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of such violations and to protect the rights of deserving students.