SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, called the international community, and the sponsors of Stockholm agreement, to interfere immediately and protect the family of political abductee Mohammed Qahtan, from Houthis militia in Sana’a, who reported to SAM that the militia is intending to confiscate their house and ordered them to evacuate the house within three days.

SAM said, armed men in civil uniform approached Qahtan’s family in Sana’a, who is abducted by Houthis for about four years, and instructed them to evacuate the house at Al-Nahda neighbourhood, Sana’a, within three days, and wrote at the house wall “seized by the specialized penal prosecution.”

Qahtan’s family said that Houthis militia told them that the women force “Al-Zenabiyat”, will force them to leave the house if they failed to respond to the evacuation order. The militia did not present any legal warrant, or prior judicial notification related to the house evacuation from any official entity.

Abdulrahman, Qahtan’s son, who lives outside Yemen, said the house is occupied by Qahtan’s family, including 4 children. He said to SAM monitors that “it was so terrifying and cruel to the family, that an armed group in civil costume in the day light and threaten to expel them outside the house, without any justification. They deprived my father from seeing his wife, sons and grandchildren for four years. And this order has no any justification. My family is in a shock now and could not believe this.”

Tawfeq Al-Humeidi, director of SAM, stressed that executing such act without any formal legal procedures, is an unjust act that defies basic justice rules, warning that executing such order reaffirm Houthis’ ill intention towards Sweden consultations, that stated for release of political prisoners, including Mohammed Qahtan.”

“Houthis terror and intimidation to the family including women and children, and forcing them to evacuate their house, is inappropriate behaviour and contradicts Yemeni community values and norms, and breaches the international conventions, namely Geneva 4th convention and the second additional protocol, and reveals a barbaric behaviour by the militia using the judiciary for political revenge, and violates civilians’ rights”, he added.

Mohammed Qahtan 60 is a member to Islah Party supreme committee, and has been abducted by Houthis militia on 4 April 2015, following house arrest.

Human Rights Watch, said in a statement has called Houthis militia to provide information on the reasons of detaining Qahtan and his whereabouts, but did not receive any response, and called to release Qahtan, if no charges were raised against him. Amnesty International said in a previous statement that Qahtan was subjected to torture and his health is deteriorating due to his diabetic.

SAM called the international community, namely the UN to interfere and protect the civilians in Yemen, and to pressure to release all detainees from Houthis prisons, ensure protection of private objects, according to the provisions of the Yemeni constitution and the international humanitarian law, and to end the political revenge practiced by the militia under judiciary pretexts that undermines peace efforts.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, Geneva
10 January 2019