SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, continues monitoring of human rights situation in Yemen, where during June, it has documented 787 violations, included extralegal killing, assaults on physical integrity and safety, violations to press freedom, arbitrary detention, seizure of properties, enforced displacement and torture.
Out of the total violations, Houthis-Saleh militia committed 607 violations, Arab Coalition 45, legitimate government 15 violations in Taiz, Aden and Lahaj, and 20 other violations by unidentified parties in territories under the legitimate government control.
Violation of the Right to Life:
SAM organization has documented 170 killings of civilians, including 105 by Houthis-Saleh militia, mainly by indiscriminate shelling on residential areas in Taiz. Civilians also died under torture or as consequences of torture, mines also documented 3 casualties.
Arab Coalition airstrikes also killed 45 civilians in Sa'da, Sana'a, and Hodiedah, including 5 children. SAM also documented the killing of 20 civilians; 7 in Taiz, 5 in Lahaj, 2 in Hadhramout, and 2 in Aden, all that due to security instability and spread of arms among armed factions.
Violation of the Right to Physical Integrity:
SAM organization also documented 224 injuries among civilians during June, including 30 women, and 51 children, mainly resulted from the indiscriminate shelling by Houthis-Saleh militia on residential areas in Taiz, followed by Arab Coalition airstrikes. 4 other cases of physical assaults were documented; 3 in Sana’a and 1 in Taiz.
Arbitrary Detention:
Thousands of Yemenis are still under arbitrary detention at Houthis-Saleh militia’s prisons in Sana’a and other areas under its control, in addition to other hundreds at Security Belt’s and Hadhrami Elite prisons, in Aden and Hadhramout, which is under legitimate government forces’ control, although Houthis-Saleh militia released a few detainees last month, no prisoners were released during the same period, by Hadhrami Elite or Security Belt forces.
SAM organization has documented 119 cases of arbitrary detention in June, including 24 in Sana’a, 21 in Ibb, 13 in Hodiedah, including 2 children, and 16 in Taiz, other cases were reported in Dhamar, and Shabwa, and all cases were committed by Houthis militia, except 2 cases in Taiz by resistance group.
Violation of Child Rights:
Violations on children increased particularly in armed confrontation zones, where 87 cases were reported, including 12 child recruitment cases, by Houthis – Saleh militia, in Dhamar, Sana’a, the capital, and Amran, in addition to 18 children killings, mainly in Taiz, and 52 others by indiscriminate shelling by Houthis-Saleh militia at residential areas in Taiz, and by Arab Coalition airstrikes that disregarded code of combat that prohibits targeting of residential areas and other targets close to civilians.
Violations against Women:
Women were subjected to unprecedented violations in this month; where 46 violations against women were reported, including 16 killings, including one 3 years female child who was raped and killed in Sana’a, in addition to one female teacher in Taiz, a schoolmaster of private school, and the security confirmed that it is a criminal act committed by her relatives.
SAM also documented 30 cases of female injuries, including 4 by anti-personnel landmines, three of which in Taiz governorate.
Mines:
Mines continue to threaten civilians in the former confrontation zones, amidst Houthis insistence to use mines widely in the conflict without providing maps, thereby increasing victims alarmingly, where SAM has documented 19 cases of mines detonation in June, including 10 in Al-Jouf, and 6 in Taiz governorate, killing 3 women and injuring 4 others.
Violations of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders:
SAM has documented 10 violations against journalists and human rights defenders, including intimidation, physical assaults, and threaten, where systematic violations were noticed in Aden against activists in media outlets and websites funded by certain countries, also some journalists were looted and attacks on protestors who demand release of detainees in Sana’a and Aden were reported.
Blockade and Enforced Displacement of Civilians:
The blockade on Bilad Al-Wafi continued for the seventh month consecutively, in addition to Al-Kadaha in Al-Waz’iya, also 150 people were displaced from Al-Mane’, in Adhabab, Taiz governorate by Houthis-Saleh militia.
Attacks on Properties and Detonation of Houses:
SAM organization has documented 17 violations related to private objects, including 6 detonation cases of Houthis-Saleh opponents houses in Shabwa and Al-Baidha governorates, and 2 houses destroyed by Arab Coalition airstrikes, 5 cases of confiscation of public objects, 4 raids including raiding of housing complex of Dhamar university teaching staff and eviction of occupants.
Other Violations:
SAM organization reported other violations such as violation of the right of movement, denial of fishermen of the right of fishing in Mocha port following the closure of the port by legitimate and UAE forces. In addition to the charging of illegal royalties in Sana'a and Dhamar on the passengers and traders working in goods transportation in Sana'a and Dhamar.
Finally, SAM Organization stress on the need to resolve people life hardships immediately and to pay outstanding salaries by the de facto power in Sana'a and the legitimate government in Aden, confirming that payment of salaries is a right that should not be compromised and should be paid immediately by the concerned authority.
SAM Organization also warn of the deteriorated health situation and inability of the health sector to face cholera outbreak, calling for the international community intervention and to declare Yemen as a disaster area requiring immediate aids.
Recommendations:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, 16 July 2017, Genève