SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, condemned on April 5, 2020, the violations against judges in Taiz governorate and the violations against the judiciary in Yemen by parties to the armed conflict.

Geneva-based SAM said it has monitored and documented possibly systematic attacks against judges and lawyers in Taiz Governorate by armed groups affiliated with the Legitimate government's army.

The Organization said that the judiciary in Yemen was systematically destroyed by the parties to the conflict, during the six years of the war, where the infrastructure of the judicial institutions was largely destroyed, in the capital, Sanaa, and other governorates, including in various forms, such as deadly attacks launched by the forces of both the Coalition and Houthis, and targeted judicial institutions in most governorates, which led to the disruption of the judicial work before it resumed after renting private buildings, suspension of salaries for a long of time, lack of implementation of judicial orders issued, and personal insecurity for judges.

SAM said that it has monitored on 1 April 2020, attack on Judge Mansour Muhammad Abd al-Wali Qubat, detention, raid of his residence, according to a statement issued by the Judges Club in Taiz governorate, where an armed force affiliated with a person named Hakim al-Sufi stormed the judge’s house and took him to a military site in TB hospital, took away his weapon, robbed his phone, then assaulted him and threatened him with imprisonment.

On March 30, 2020, Judge Anwar Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Majidi, the judge on duty at the West Taiz Court, was threatened with death by an armed gang that attempted to storm the judicial complex, led by Hisham Abdel Wahid Sarhan, ag on the background of a case seeing by Judge al-Majeedi.

On April 2, 2020, Judge AbduleIlah Al-Shamiri, Director of the Office of the Judicial Inspection Authority, was kidnapped with his car by an armed gang on Aldhabab road in Taiz Governorate.

In this context, SAM calls for the need to stopping negative media interactions and on social media that affects the prestige of the judicial institution, calling on everyone to respect legal channels in dealing with any mistakes committed by judicial institutions, according to the legal procedures followed, noting that maintaining the judicial institution is one of the important guarantees to uphold rule of law, respect for rights and freedoms, and accountability for perpetrators and violators of human rights.

SAM called for providing full protection to judges in the city of Taiz, regular payment of salaries to all members of the judiciary, and for the aggressors to be brought to justice and held them accountable in accordance with the law.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, Geneva

April 5, 2020