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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the ongoing violations of detainees’ rights in prisons controlled by the Houthi movement in Yemen, highlighting deaths in custody and the lack of due process in trials of individuals detained by the group.
In a November 14, 2024 report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) detailed disturbing practices, including arbitrary arrests of individuals who criticize the Houthi authorities and unfair trials that have denied detainees their legal rights. The report also revealed that at least 12 men have been subjected to such trials without access to defense lawyers or fair proceedings. HRW called this a “serious threat” to justice and human rights.
Nico Jafrania, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at HRW, criticized the Houthi administration for “repeatedly showing contempt for due process and basic protections for defendants” since seizing control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. He also pointed out that the situation had deteriorated further in recent months.
“The international community must take immediate action to prevent further deaths in Houthi custody,” Jafrania stated, stressing that many more detainees were at risk of torture or death.
Torture, Forced Confessions, and Deaths in Custody
The report also shed light on the Houthis’ use of torture to obtain confessions, including a disturbing campaign that began on June 10, 2024, in which the group posted videos on social media. In these videos, 10 Yemeni men several of whom are among the 12 individuals currently under investigation appear to confess to spying for Israel and the United States. Human Rights Watch has previously documented the Houthis’ use of physical abuse to force detainees into making such confessions, which the organization asserts are not credible and violate international standards of justice.
This latest wave of videos undermines the detainees’ right to a fair trial, HRW argues, and raises serious questions about the use of forced confessions in the absence of independent legal proceedings.
Arbitrary Arrests and Political Repression
HRW has also expressed alarm over the politicization of arrests in Houthi-controlled areas. In its June 7, 2024 report, the organization described how the Houthis use arbitrary detention as a tool to silence critics, suppress civil society, and consolidate their control over the country. The report documents cases of enforced disappearances and instances of cruel treatment that may amount to torture, with former detainees describing beatings with iron rods and sticks.
The organization further confirmed that detainees are routinely denied medical care and adequate nutrition, with many being held incommunicado. Families are often unaware of their loved ones’ whereabouts, and even visits are prohibited. In a particularly troubling development, since May 31, 2024, Houthi forces have also detained numerous United Nations and civil communitieswith reports suggesting the number of detainees continues to rise.
Ongoing Human Rights Violations
Human Rights Watch’s findings along with previous reports that have documented systematic abuse in Houthi-run detention facilities. In its 2023 report, HRW confirmed that prisoners in Houthi prisons are subjected to both psychological and physical torture, including the denial of medical treatment for injuries sustained during interrogation. Some of these abuses have resulted in permanent disability or death.
HRW has called for the international community to increase pressure on the Houthis to halt these practices and ensure the safety and dignity of detainees.
Same Justice Human Rights Calls for Urgent Action
In response to the mounting abuses, Same Justice Human Rights has called for the humane treatment of prisoners and prisoners of conscience in accordance with international human rights standards. The organization emphasized the need for the provision of medical care for detainees and for their treatment to be grounded in the principles of human dignity.
Same Justice Human Rights further called for urgent action to stop the violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen, who continue to suffer as a result of the ongoing conflict. Additionally, Same Justice Human Rights warned that the continued human rights violations particularly those perpetrated by the Houthi movement pose a grave threat to both the peace and stability of Yemen and the broader region.
