Geneva - SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said that the security authorities in Mukalla / Hadramout governorate refused to implement court orders to release dozens of detainees whose sentences had been ended or had been acquitted in Al-Munawara prison in Mukalla. This prompted the arbitrarily detained detainees to start a hunger strike four days ago in order to draw the world's attention to their case, to regain their right to release, and to hold the Public Prosecution responsible for their lives since it is the judicial body authorized to implement judicial rulings.

The organization said in a statement issued today, Friday, that the security authorities in Hadramout / Mukalla must immediately release all illegally detained persons who have been ordered to be released by the judicial authorities. SAM emphasized that the intransigence of the security authorities in Hadhramaut constitutes a criminal offense as they hamper the implementation of court orders in accordance with Yemeni laws. It also constitutes a crime of unjustly denying the freedom of civilians. Thus, all those responsible for not releasing these detainees must be referred to the public prosecution.

Tawfiq Al-Hamidi, head of the SAM Organization, said, "The detainees in Al-Munawara prison, whose sentences have ended and who have release orders, are victims of the intransigence of the authorities in Hadramout, which implement the orders of Emirati supervisors. As the families told us, many of the detainees were denied release because of the Emirati officers in Mukalla. This constitutes a crime for which the perpetrators must be held accountable, and the detainees must be compensated for the harm caused to them and their families as a result of these illegal actions.”

"SAM" stated that dozens of the prisoners' families reached out to her in order to deliver their appeal about the conditions of their children, as the appeal stated, "We address this statement to you about our children who have been on hunger strike since Monday. We learned of their intention to continue the strike if they are not released."

According to what was reported to SAM, "the detainees refuse visits and receive calls in protest against the intransigence to release them, knowing that dozens of them have been detained for more than four years and have release orders. There are also many of them who are sick and in need of medical care, and the violations against them continue."

"SAM" indicated that the mother of one of the detainees mentioned during her appeal, "I am the mother of a prisoner who has been sentenced to two years in prison, but has been detained for seven years and has not been released until this moment."

The organization learned through one of the testimonies that there is a detainee called "Ali Kalakli" who has been detained for nine years, despite the issuance of a decision to release him, but the Hadhramaut authorities still refuses to release him.

SAM stresses that the delay of the Hadramout authorities in releasing the detainees is a criminal offense that requires accountability, and the judicial authorities must refer those responsible for investigation. The organization warned that the behavior of the authorities deviated from its role in applying the law to participating in the continued violation of the rights of civilians.

The organization indicated that the detainees are subjected to torture and delay in their release, in addition to their declaration of hunger strike. Therefore, the authorities that didn’t implement the release decision should be held fully responsible and accountable if the lives of those detainees or some of them were at risk.

SAM concluded its statement by calling on the authorities in Hadramout to quickly release the detainees and work to bring the violators who didn’t implement the decisions of the judicial authorities into legal accountability. It also stressed that the international community's negative stance and continued silence constitutes an implicit cover for the parties to the conflict in Yemen to continue their violations against civilians.