SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Geneva, is continuing its work in monitoring human rights situation in Yemen, where it has monitored and documented 716 violations during October, including extra-legal killing, physical assault, violation to press freedom, arbitrary detention, confiscation of properties, forced displacement, and torture.
Houthis-Saleh militia is responsible for 541 of the total documented violations, Arab Coalition airstrikes 111, 19 by groups loyal to the legitimate government and armed groups in Taiz and Aden, and 15 violations unclaimed, yet at territories controlled by the legitimate power.
However, it is important to note that the documented violations do not reflect the whole picture in the ground, or a specific percentage of the violations, rather it represent a random specimen through which we see human rights reality in the country, also demonstrates the violations that our monitors managed to document.
Violation of the Right to Life:
SAM organization has monitored and documented 115 killings of civilians during October, including 69 killed by Arab Coalition’s airstrike, 40 by Houthis militia mainly by indiscriminate shelling on residential areas in Taiz, 3 killed under torture at Houthis-Saleh prisons, and 5 by landmines in Taiz and Al-Jouf, including one child.
Violation of the Right to Physical Integrity:
SAM organization has documented 164 injuries among civilians during October, including 22 women, and 43 children in Taiz and Sa’da governorates, majority of casualties were attributed to the indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia and Saleh forces on residential areas in Taiz, followed by Arab Coalition airstrikes and 8 injuries by landmines.
Arbitrary Detention:
Thousands of Yemeni civilians are under arbitrary detention at Houthis militia and Saleh forces’ prisons in Sana’a and other areas under their control, in addition to hundreds of civilians in Security belt and Hadhrami elite prisons in Aden and Hadhramout. SAM has documented 140 new cases of arbitrary detention during October, 125 by Houthis – Saleh militia and 15 by security forces in Aden and Shabwa.
Violation of Child Rights:
SAM organization documented worrying increase in the violations to child rights during October, mostly in Taiz, and Hodiedah governorates, due to indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia, where SAM has documented 107 cases of violations against children, including 36 child recruitment by Houthis-Saleh militia, in Hodiedah, Ibb and Amran governorates, and 69 killing of children in Taiz, Sa’da and Sana’a, due to various reasons, including indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia, Arab Coalition airstrikes that disregard rules of combat when targeting residential areas and targets close to civilians.
Violations against Women:
SAM organization has documented 34 violations against women, including 7 killings, including one child, in addition to 22 injuries among women, one by landmines planted by Houthis in Taiz and Al-Jouf.
Mines:
Landmines continue to threaten civilians’ life in areas of previous confrontations, while Houthis militia continued using landmines widely, without proper mapping thereby increase number of landmines victims, where 13 cases of landmines detonation were reported during October, killing five civilians including one women, and injured eight others, including one child and two women.
Violations against Journalists and Human Rights Defenders:
SAM has documented continuous violations against journalists and human rights defenders, while 16 journalists remain in prison in Sana’a, for more than two years, who have been referred to the unconstitutional specialized penal court for trial, also SAM has documented 6 violations, two threaten in Sana’a, one dismissal, one house raid and one suspension of salary.
Blockade and Forced Displacement of Civilians:
Blockade of villages in Jabal Habashi district continued for the eighth month by Houthis militia and Saleh forces, also tens of families were banned from returning to their houses by legitimate forces led by UAE in Mocha and Zu Bab in the Red Sea coast. 65 families were displaced in Al-Qaeda, Al-Madafin, Al-Qouz in Al-Ashrouh, Jabal Habashi, western Taiz, by Houthis-Saleh militia.
Attacks on Public and Private Objects:
SAM has documented 31 attacks on public and private objects, by Houthis-Saleh militia, and Security Belt forces in Aden, where 3 houses were destroyed and one was seized in Sana’a, 7 public facilities raided, and 8 houses and private objects, one mosque turned into military barricade, and one medical facility into prison, all by Houthis-Saleh militia, also on 11 October, SAM has documented 7 break ins of houses in Aden by security forces and Security belt forces.
Recommendations:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,
19 November 2017, Genève