SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, watches with great concern the escalation in violations on civilians and serious deterioration in human rights situation during January 2017.
Where, gross violations were committed during January in several governorates, and worst of which was in Taiz with the indiscriminate shelling on civilians, bombing of houses in Ibb and detention of activists, journalists, and opponents by legitimate government in Aden and Hadhramout, in addition to Hodiedah governorate by Houthi-Saleh militia.
Details of Violations;
Sana’a, the Capital:
Arbitrary Detention;
17 January; Haitham Oun, financial and administrative officer, Al-Wahdawi newspaper belongs to Yemeni Nasserist Party, was abducted from Al-Zuberie street in the center of Sana’a.
25 January; Malik Al-Haneen, teacher was abducted before his children in Dar Salm area, Sana’a.
Aden Governorate:
Death in Prisons;
23 January; Helmi Abdulhaleem Al-Tanni, from Lahaj governorate, died in security forces prison in Aden. It is claimed that he has been subjected to torture, since his forced disappearance until he died. Many hundred people are under detention in the prisons administrated by the Security Belt forces, controlled by the legitimate government, for long periods illegally without prosecution.
Arbitrary Detention;
23 January; journalist Adil Numan and activist Nazar Mukhtar Seraro, were detained for four hours by the guards in the presidential palace in Ma’ashiq, for their protest staged by relatives of detainees and forcibly disappeared.
25 January; two activists Ahmed Al-Wafi and Nazar Mukhtar Seraro, members of defense team of the detainees, were detained by Security Belt forces in Aden for three days.
11 January; Aden airport officials detained two Baha’i Faith members; Hishmatullah Ali Mohammed Thabet, 75, Iranian, and Nadeem Tawfiq Abdulbari Al-Saqqaf, 44, Yemeni, without any legal ground.
Taiz Governorate:
Indiscriminate Shelling;
17-18 January; about 25 civilians were killed due to indiscriminate shelling by Houthi-Saleh militia, in Arroudh neighborhood, central Taiz, and in Al-Muiegir village, Shameer, Maqbna district, in addition to sniper’s shooting in Al-Anen village, Gabal Habashi.
Extralegal Execution;
20-22 January 4 civilians were assassinated in the center of Taiz city by unknown party.
Arab Coalition Airstrike;
27 January; Arab Coalition air force stroke two civilians’ houses, and passengers’ car in Al-Waze’ya district, eastern Taiz, killing 10 civilians and injuring 13 others, including women and children.
Abduction;
22 January; journalist Tayseer Al-Samee was abducted from Dimna Khadeer street, which is under Houthis militia’s control and was taken to unknown place, believed to be in Sanaa.
Hadhramout Governorate:
Arbitrary Detention;
8 January; civilian activist Ali Harmal Baqityan, was arrested by Hadhrami Elite forces and is still under forced disappearance along with other hundreds, many of whom are subjected to torture – according to documented testimonies – in Hadhrami Elite prisons, reported to the legitimate government and supervised by (Abu Ahmed), of Emirati nationality.
Ibb Governorate:
Killing;
29 January youth Musid Saleh Al-Sifry, was killed in random fire shooting by Houthis in Al-Haqab village market.
Bombing of Houses;
25 January; Houthis militia detonated seven houses in Adihimya village, Al-Asloum area, Al-Odain district, western Ibb city, on the ground of accusations made by Houthis against the owners of these houses, that they resist Houthis militia.
Arbitrary Detention;
25 January; 7 people were arbitrary detained by Houthis militia in Adihimya, whose whereabouts is still unknown.
Hodiedah Governorate:
Killing;
26 January; Salem Hameed, from Bagil district, was killed by Houthis militia.
Abduction;
Houthis-Saleh militia abducted 6 civilians from different areas in Hodiedah governorate;
13 January, Hassan Al-Qudaimi;
21 January, Saleh Ibrahim Essa Ali Mazeel, Azzuhra district;
22 January, Ibrahim Ahmed Yahya Daraga, Der Hisan, Azzuhra district;
25 January, Mohammed Shuee, abducted from Mahal Al-Ma’houb village, AL-Mighlaf district, and taken to unknown place;
25 January, Safwa Al-Razaz, abducted from Al-Shifa college to known place;
26 January, Saddam Ali Ahmed Hassan, 27 years, abducted from Al-Alwya village;
Al-Baydha:
27 January, about 35 people were killed in Yekla village, Rada’a district, including 6 women and 9 children, in a military operation by US armed forces against Al-Qaeda suspected members.
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, strongly condemns all crimes mentioned in this statement, which are serious violations to the international humanitarian law, noting that all these violations have targeted unarmed civilians, either by indiscriminate shelling as in Taiz and Al-Waze’ya, detonation of houses in Ibb, or arbitrary detention in Aden and Hadhramout.
SAM organization hold US government accountable for the civilian victims and children in Yekla village, and considers the military operation as serious violation to the human rights law and to the international law, and urges the US administration to respect Yemen sovereignty, human rights principles and the international treaties.
SAM organization also, confirm that indiscriminate shelling of civilians, and detonation of houses are crimes against humanity and war crimes that requires prosecuting of the perpetrators among Houthis-Saleh militia’s commanders.
Furthermore, SAM organization calls legitimate government to refrain from detaining activists in Aden and Hadhramout, and to release Ali Harmal Baqityan immediately and other hundreds of disappeared in legitimate power prisons at different areas under its control, and we hold the legitimate government accountable for the lives of the forcibly disappeared.
SAM Organization also, calls upon Arab Coalition forces to avoid targeting civilians and to review its rules of combat, to ensure avoidance of civilians by airstrikes.
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,