Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the wave of arrests carried out by the Houthi group against the Secretary-General of the General People’s Congress (GPC) in Sana’a, Ghazi Ali Al-Ahwal, his office director Adel Rubaid, and a number of the party’s leaders, constitutes a serious violation of political rights and the right to freedom of opinion and expression, as guaranteed by the Yemeni Constitution and international human rights law.

The organization, quoting journalist Fares Al-Hemiari, reported that the arrests followed the refusal of several GPC leaders to comply with Houthi directives to cancel the celebrations of the party’s 43rd anniversary. SAM noted that these events reflect the severe restrictions imposed on peaceful political activity in areas under Houthi control.

SAM further stated that the cancellation of the GPC anniversary event and the forced issuance of the party’s statement were directly supervised by the Houthis, who had earlier confiscated funds allocated for the celebration, dispersed an official meeting of the General Secretariat, and launched wide-scale incitement campaigns in addition to imposing strict security surveillance on the homes of GPC leaders, according to Al-Hemiari.

The organization considered these measures to be a flagrant violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by the Republic of Yemen, which guarantees freedom of political affiliation and peaceful assembly, prohibits arbitrary arrest and repressive practices, and also contradicts the provisions of the Yemeni Constitution that affirms political pluralism and the freedom of party activities.

SAM emphasized that the continuation of such violations deepens the climate of political repression and shuts down any remaining space for free debate or civic activity, thereby threatening the prospects for reaching a comprehensive political settlement based on national participation.

The organization called on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release all detained GPC leaders and to end all forms of political persecution and restrictions.

SAM also urged the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action and exert genuine pressure on the Houthis to ensure an end to systematic violations against political parties and to safeguard the fundamental rights of Yemeni citizens in accordance with international standards.