Yemen Monitor/ Sana’a/ Special Report:
Nearly a week after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, the Houthi group continues to fear the repercussions of the Syrian revolution’s victory on the Yemeni scene. This has prompted them to launch a series of warnings and threats, as well as carry out a wave of arrests targeting those celebrating the fall of Al-Assad and his regime in areas under their control. This incident marks the second time in recent months that Houthi authorities have conducted a campaign of kidnappings and intimidation against those celebrating the September 26 revolution.
Developments in Syria, and previously in Lebanon, have raised hopes in Yemen for a similar scenario that could lead to the end of the Houthi coup, especially after the blows Tehran suffered in Lebanon and the end of its dominance over Damascus.
The fall of Al-Assad also prompted the National Coalition of Yemeni Parties and government officials to call on the Presidential Leadership Council to end Iranian interference in the country and restore state institutions from the Houthis.
Concurrently, the UN envoy to Yemen made recent statements that carried implicit messages about the possibility of Yemen entering a destructive war if the Houthis do not agree with the Yemeni government on the UN roadmap.
Houthi Threats and Warnings
In an agitated and tense speech delivered last Thursday evening, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi delivered his first address since the victory of the Syrian revolution, the liberation of Damascus, Assad’s escape, and Iran’s withdrawal from the country.
The Houthi speech focused on Syria and the shift in the balance of power in the region against Iran. He also accused the Syrian revolutionaries of treason, collaboration, and terrorism in favor of Israeli occupation against Iran, as the latter is an enemy of the occupation.
The most significant part of his speech was his prediction of a Yemeni scenario similar to what happened in Syria, stating that they would confront any movement and had prepared for it on land, sea, and air, and had mobilized hundreds of thousands of people.
Mohammed Abdulsalam Flitah, the group’s spokesman, commented minutes after the end of Houthi’s speech, saying: “Yemen is not Syria and we will not remain silent in the face of any movement against us. We will target anyone who supports any movement.”
He added, “Those who should be worried and fearful are the other party, because any move against the Houthis is in favor of the Zionists, which means a large-scale war on land, sea, and air, and we will target every supporter of mercenaries and traitors.”
Reactions to Houthi Threats
Commenting on the Houthis’ emotional reactions and their fear of a Syrian scenario being replicated in Yemen, Yemeni journalist Adnan al-Jabrani commented on X, saying: “In a loud voice, with clear anxiety and panic, he tried to boost the morale of his supporters after the setbacks in Syria and Lebanon, emphasizing the need to increase the level of confrontation and counter the plots of the enemies.”
On the other hand, writer and researcher Abdulsalam Muhammad wrote on X, commenting on Houthi’s outburst: “The speech of the Houthi leader today is tense, and for the first time, he appears in this image devoid of reassurance, tranquility, and even false composure. His psychological state is a natural reflection of the turmoil he and his armed movement are experiencing in Yemen, especially as they see the Iranian axis collapsing and the influence of their ally crumbling.”
Mohammed al-Basha also wrote on his page and shared a clip from Houthi’s speech: “I have not seen or heard Abdul Malik al-Houthi with this anger for a long time. His anger and intensity today were unprecedented, as he shouted and rushed with great violence that we have never seen before.”
Al-Basha added in another tweet, “The drums of war are beating in Yemen. Abdul Malik al-Houthi is angry, his face is red, and his veins are swollen at the temples, and he is shouting at the top his lungs, full of anger.”
Yemeni military expert and analyst Ali al-Dhahab wrote on X: “The speech was haunted by fear and trembling, as the rebel Abdul Malik al-Houthi appeared. His veins swelled in a predictable Hysterical situation.”
Tribal Gatherings
Just two days after the fall of Al-Assad regime in Syria, the armed group began meeting with tribal sheikhs in several governorates under its control. This was an attempt to neutralize them against any potential future confrontation and ensure that they would not pose a threat to the group’s authority, especially as demands for the internationally recognized government forces to mobilize and reclaim the state from the Houthis had increased.
In light of this, the group’s leader, Muhammad Hussein al-Maqdishi, met with the A’anes tribe in Dhamar Governorate last Tuesday, warning them against being drawn into what was happening in Syria and not to listen to those calling for Yemenis to rise up against Houthi rule.
Amidst a number of tribal leaders, al-Maqdishi hinted that any attempts or movements to repeat what happened in Syria would certainly lead to a state of conflict and war, in a clear message that the Houthi group would deal decisively with any potential opposition that threatens its existence in the country.
Abductions in Taiz
Following the Houthis’ warnings and subsequent arrest campaigns against those celebrating the Syrian revolution and the fall of Al-Assad, local sources reported on Saturday that the Houthi group had abducted a number of young people in Taiz Governorate, simply for expressing their views on the fall of Al-Assad in Syria.
According to the sources, the young men were interrogated and their personal belongings and mobile phones were searched to see if they had any documentation related to the celebrations or the latest developments in Syria.
Meanwhile, the newspaper “Asharq Al-Awsat” reported that the Houthi government is taking additional steps to shape public opinion, including forcing public sector employees and parents of students in government schools to visit the holy sites of Houthi supporters, as well as listen to the weekly speech of the group’s spiritual leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
Widespread Abductions
On Tuesday, local residents reported that the Houthis had abducted a number of young people from neighborhoods and streets in the occupied capital, Sana’a, as a result of their writings about the victory of the Syrian people and the fall of Al-Assad regime.
Residents stated that the Houthis had kidnapped three young activists from Al-Safiya and Al-Sab’een areas of the capital on Monday and taken them to their prisons.
They indicated that the activists had expressed their joy at the victory of the will of the Syrian people in uprooting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which alarmed the group and prompted them to kidnap them.
For its part, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms stated that the armed group had arrested 17 activists and young people from various neighborhoods in the capital for expressing their joy at the victory of the Syrian people.
The network condemned the actions of the Houthi government, which are in violation of all international conventions, noting that “the actions of the Houthis reflect their concern about the repercussions of the situation in Syria on their control of Sana’a, and the fear of a similar popular uprising in Yemen as well.”
This has also led the group to increase the deployment of security forces loyal to it in the neighborhoods of the capital, Sana’a.
The abductions by the armed group and its concern about the repercussions of the situation in Syria were not limited to Sana’a and Taiz but extended to most of the governorates opposed to its sectarian project, especially the central regions of the country.
According to sources, the armed group had kidnapped a number of people from the Makhader district in Ibb Governorate, central Yemen, while they were gathering and raising the flags of the Syrian revolution, in solidarity with the Syrian people and in celebration of the fall of Al-Assad’s regime.
In Dhamar Governorate (south of the capital Sana’a), a group of students from the 7th of July School in Dhamar city celebrated and distributed sweets to their classmates on the occasion of the victory of the Syrian revolution, prompting the Houthi group to send a security team to the school to interrogate the teachers and students, and summon their parents.
