SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, follow with great concern the recent incidents in Sana’a central jail,
where Central Security forces and Houthis militia broke into the central jail at instructions by the prison warden, and Houthis supervisor in the jail, Hamoud Fadhil Al-Arag, to quell inmates protests using violence, and live ammunition on inmates who demanded trial and providing of basic needs; food and mattresses.
This attack was causing fire in one of the prison’s sections, killing one inmate and injuring about ten others. Reports and pictures received by SAM indicate that heavy smoke was seen above the central jail following break in by security forces and Houthis militia, and documented casualties.
SAM organization also obtained detailed list of 220 inmates who detained in the prison’s school without any official charges, only under accusation that they are pro IS and Takfiri , although they have been hijacked from military checkpoints when moving between governorates, and some of them were detain form more than a year.
SAM organization stress that attacking unarmed inmates and using of excessive force is a penalized crime according to the national law and international humanitarian law, also detention without charges or trial is violations to national constitution and international covenants.
SAM organization strongly condemn these assaults on central jail inmates and held de facto power fully responsible for the safety and physical integrity of the inmates, and stresses on the prisoners’ rights as provided by local and international law, including fair trial and call from immediate and unconditioned release of the detainees.
SAM organization also calls all regional and international humanitarian and human rights organizations to assume their ethical and humanitarian responsibility and interfere immediately to protect the prisoners and abductees in Yemen and exert all efforts in this endeavor.