Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said that the referral of Dr. Ali Ahmed al-Madhwahi to the Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a, after more than 800 days in detention, raises serious concerns about the integrity of the legal proceedings against him, particularly in light of his account that he was subjected to solitary confinement, torture, psychological pressure, and forced to make confessions while in detention.

According to information conveyed by his family, al-Madhwahi said that he was referred to court after more than 800 days of detention and requested access to a lawyer to represent him. He also reported that he had been subjected to solitary confinement, torture, severe psychological pressure, and coerced into confessing. He stated that among the issues for which he was questioned was his insistence on the continuation of childhood vaccination and immunization programs in Yemen, based on his professional responsibility.

Forces affiliated with the Security and Intelligence Service under the Houthi authorities arrested al-Madhwahi on June 8, 2024, after raiding his office in Sana’a, as part of a broader arrest campaign targeting employees of the United Nations, international and local organizations, civil society actors, and humanitarian workers. Al-Madhwahi is a physician and public health specialist who has worked in health policy, immunization programs, nutrition, and epidemic control.

SAM said that his detention for more than two years before being referred to the judiciary, together with his allegations of torture and coercion, raises fundamental questions about the legality of his detention and the fairness of the proceedings against him. The organization stressed that a delayed referral to court cannot remedy previous violations or confer legitimacy on evidence obtained through unlawful means.

Al-Madhwahi’s arrest came amid a broader pattern of arrests carried out by the Houthi authorities against humanitarian and civil society workers. In June 2026, the United Nations announced that 73 of its staff members remained arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, while the UN Security Council called for the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of detained UN personnel, NGO workers, and civil society members.

Al-Madhwahi’s referral to the Specialized Criminal Court raises further concerns in light of violations of fair trial guarantees documented by human rights organizations in previous cases before the court, including inadequate access to legal counsel and reliance on confessions that defendants said had been extracted under torture or coercion.

SAM said: “Bringing a person before a court after more than 800 days in detention, while he says he was tortured and forced to make confessions, requires an independent investigation before any statements attributed to him are relied upon. Courts must not become a means of legitimizing the consequences of arbitrary detention or torture.”

The organization also expressed concern that al-Madhwahi was questioned over his position in support of continued immunization programs, stressing that advocating for childhood vaccination or expressing a professional opinion on public health must not become grounds for prosecution or punishment.

SAM called on the Houthi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release al-Madhwahi, conduct an independent and effective investigation into his allegations of torture and ill-treatment, ensure his access to a lawyer of his choosing, and exclude from the proceedings any statements or confessions obtained through torture or coercion.

SAM further called on the United Nations, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and relevant international mechanisms to intensify their efforts to secure his release, as well as the release of all humanitarian and civil society workers arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities.