Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the assassination of Mrs.Eftihan Al-Mashhari, Director of the Cleaning Fund in Taiz Governorate, on the morning of Thursday, September 18, in Al-Sinan roundabout, by armed men, constitutes a heinous crime and a flagrant, unjustifiable violation of the human right to life. The organization affirmed that the announcement of one of the suspects’ identities imposes an urgent responsibility on the security apparatus to fully uncover the circumstances of the crime and bring all those involved to justice.
The organization pointed out that targeting a civilian and female leader in her official position is not only an attack on the victim herself but also a direct and grave threat to public security and social peace in the city of Taiz, reflecting the state of lawlessness and the deliberate erosion of society’s right to safety.
An eyewitness told SAM that he heard the sound of gunfire near his home, and upon going out, he saw the victim’s car crashing into the chairs of an open restaurant. When the car stopped and people gathered, it became clear that the vehicle had been riddled with bullets, concentrated particularly on the front windshield and driver’s side, where the victim was seated. The witness noted that the victim sustained severe injuries to her head and body as a result of the gunfire.
SAM Organization explained that Al-Mashhari had been subjected to repeated threats and assaults in connection with a dispute over a government building, as she recounted in an audio recording. Influential individuals were involved in attempts to seize the building and extort her financially, in addition to using armed violence against her and her staff. The organization noted that the victim had filed an official complaint with the Public Prosecution regarding these incidents, and that the Governor of Taiz had issued a directive to the Chief of Police to promptly arrest the suspect. However, this order was not carried out, which encouraged the continuation of the threats and ultimately paved the way for her assassination.
The organization stated that the systematic campaigns of incitement against women in Taiz, spread through various platforms, create a fertile environment for justifying violence against them and provide a disgraceful cover for the perpetrators of such crimes. It considered the continued official silence toward such rhetoric as indirect participation in fostering violence.
SAM affirmed that the assassination of Al-Mashhari places upon the authorities an inescapable political, legal, and moral responsibility, stressing that any negligence or leniency in pursuing and prosecuting the perpetrators will entrench a culture of impunity and undermine public trust in the security and judicial system.
The organization considered that the rampant proliferation of weapons, along with the absence of controls over the conduct of some members of the security services, has turned civilian life into a perpetual circle of danger. This, it emphasized, requires serious and decisive measures to restore the rule of law and guarantee the protection of citizens.
Finally, the organization called for a transparent and public investigation that reveals to the public all details and background of the crime, the swift arrest of all those involved without exception, the drying up of sources of incitement against women, and the adoption of a clear strategy to curb the spread of weapons—ensuring the protection of society and the safeguarding of human rights in Taiz and across Yemen.