Geneva – April 8, 2026
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the killing of an elderly man in the city of Taiz by a sniper believed to be affiliated with the Houthi group highlights the استمرار of unlawful attacks against civilians, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
The organization explained that the victim, Mohammed Farhan Ali Abdo (70 years old), was killed on Wednesday afternoon while in the Al-Zahraa neighborhood of Salh District, east of Taiz, after being directly shot from positions under Houthi control.
According to information collected by the organization from field sources and eyewitnesses, the attack occurred at approximately 2:20 p.m. in a populated residential area. The victim sustained two gunshot wounds to the shoulder and right thigh. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the shots were fired from sniper positions stationed around the Central Security Camp. The victim was transferred to Al-Thawra General Hospital but later died from severe bleeding.
The organization stated that targeting an elderly civilian in a residential area, under circumstances where he could clearly be distinguished from combatants, constitutes either a deliberate or indiscriminate attack against civilians, both of which are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
It added that such attacks may amount to war crimes, particularly when they form part of a repeated pattern of targeting civilians in Taiz, including the use of snipers in urban areas.
The organization emphasized that parties to the conflict are obligated, under the Geneva Conventions, to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. Targeting an elderly man with sniper fire in broad daylight in a residential area cannot be justified under any military circumstance and reflects a blatant disregard for civilian lives.
SAM noted that it had previously issued a human rights report in November 2021 titled “Sniper Terror”, documenting sniper attacks against civilians in Taiz Governorate. In recent days, the city has witnessed repeated sniper incidents targeting civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, reinforcing concerns of a systematic pattern of using snipers as a means of spreading fear among the civilian population.
SAM Organization called on:
The organization further stressed that impunity encourages the recurrence of such crimes and undermines prospects for achieving sustainable peace based on justice.