Traces of Execution by Gas or Toxic Substance Seen in his Body;

SAM; Death of Abductee Under Torture at Houthis Prison is Crime against Humanity

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, received authenticated information confirms the death of detainees Ali Mohammed Aaidh Al-Tweeti, in Houthis detention center, who died under sever torture, in violation, mount to war crime, to the provision of the international humanitarian law.

Al-Tweeti was intercepted by Houthis armed elements and abducted on 19 November 2017, while in his way to his hometown Yarim, Ibb, from Houthis checkpoint in Damt, Addalie, and took him to unknown place.

According to security sources, Al-Tweeti died after three days of detention due to torture in Houthis detention center in Arradhma, Ibb. His family received his body on 1 January 2918; 49 days after his death. Houthis prevented autopsy of the body, and refused prosecutor investigation to the case, confirming that his death was resulted from savage torture or premeditated killing that he faced.

SAM received pictures of the dead body shows signs of torture by sharp tools and electricity in, red signs and ulcers in his body, in addition to burns resulted from boiled water, causing deformities similar to that caused execution by gas or toxic substance.

Physician consulted indicated that such signs are resulted from torture by electricity on all parts of the body, or from using of chemical drugs that causes such traces in the body. SAM will further investigate similar cases of torture and inhuman treatment.

During the past three years, 120 abductees died due to torture inside Houthis prisons, whereas 9 thousand others remain in secret and illegal detention cenetrs that lack minimum health and decent detention standards, majority managed by Houthis and others by UAE-backed security forces, or armed groups loyal to the government. Since Houthis took control of Sana’a in September 2014, they’ve committed gross violations on the civilians included, killing, detention, disappearing, and torture.

In an interview to the brother of the deceased, Abdulkareem Al-Tweeti, he said “on 1:45 a.m. of 19 November 2017, my brother Ali was detained in Damt while returning to Yarim. Houthis took him to Islah premises that they turned into detention center, and remained there for two days and then to unknown place where he was tortured to death”.

“his body was taken to the morgue in Yarim hospital, and I came to know that on 2 January 2018, and the death report was faked, stating that he died of heart stroke, and when I went to the morgue I saw signs if torture on my brother’s body, including beating, and traces of nails, one eye is missing, I immediately requested forensic physician, but the security department in Yarim refused and I have to take and bury him”, he added.

Tawfeq Al-Humeidi, SAM Monitoring and Documentation Officer said that “death under torture at Houthis detention centers, is warning of serious disaster, in light of Houthis control over vast areas in Yemen, and escalation in torture cases that we’ve documented during the past months”, “unless the international community take decisive measures against the perpetrators and held them accountable, for these heinous violations, we will see an increase in such crimes that humiliate the victims” he added.

Within this context, SAM calls upon the Panel of Experts assigned by the Human Rights Council to investigate the ongoing conflict and include such violations in its mandate.

The Human Rights Council is requested to expand the mandate of the Panel and report on its findings to the Security Council, and to take measures to stop these violations that thousands of Yemenis are facing under Houthis control.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,

Geneva, 19 January 2018