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Human Rights Organizations Demand a Comprehensive Investigation into the Deaths of Detainees Held by the Houthis

يمن مونيتور23 February، 2025

Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:

More than ten human rights organizations condemned on Saturday the horrific human rights violations in areas controlled by the Houthi group, which led to the death of the mother of the abducted Rabab Al-Madwahy.

The organizations said in a joint statement that they strongly condemn the horrific human rights violations in Yemen, which led to the tragic death of the mother of the abducted Rabab Al-Madwahy.

The statement added: “She died in sadness and pain for her daughter, who is still detained in Houthi prisons, after a long suffering due to uncertainty about her daughter’s fate and the psychological torment she endured.”

The Houthi militia abducted Al-Madwahy in June 2024 as part of a large-scale campaign targeting a large number of employees of UN offices and embassies on fabricated espionage charges. These repressive practices threaten the lives of innocent people and constitute a flagrant violation of human rights and international law.

They also strongly condemned the death of Ahmed Baalawi, a humanitarian worker with the WFP, who died in Sa’ada as a result of brutal torture.

The organizations said in their statement that this tragic event is a painful reminder of the serious violations committed against humanitarian workers and international staff in Yemen.

They stressed that the Houthis’ continued practice of torture and detention in inhumane conditions, along with denying detainees contact with their families or access to visits, constitutes serious human rights violations and a blatant challenge to international law and the international community.

The organizations demanded in their statement an immediate and independent international investigation into all cases of arbitrary detention and deaths resulting directly from imprisonment or indirectly due to the suffering caused by this detention, as in the case of Mrs. Rabab Al-Madwahy’s mother.

They also demanded the immediate release of the abducted Rabab Al-Madwahy and all innocent detainees unjustly held by the Houthis, and to ensure their psychological and physical safety.

They stressed the need for a comprehensive and independent investigation into the death of humanitarian worker Ahmed Baalawi in Sa’ada, to hold those responsible for his torture and death accountable, and to ensure justice for all victims of these violations.

They called for a comprehensive review of the Houthis’ inhumane practices, especially their detention and torture of international organization employees, and to ensure their right to work in a safe environment and communicate with their families while receiving the necessary support.

They demanded the immediate imposition of comprehensive international sanctions on those responsible for these violations, especially the Houthi leaders who commit torture, murder, and threaten humanitarian stability in Yemen.

They also made a strong call to the United Nations and its humanitarian organizations to exert maximum pressure on the Houthis to stop these violations, protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and ensure their commitment to international human rights standards.

The organizations said that the death of Rabab Al-Madwahy’s mother, along with the tragic loss of Ahmed Baalawi, should serve as an urgent wake-up call to the international community to take immediate action to end these horrific violations and ensure justice for the victims’ families. We urge the United Nations and international organizations to move quickly to protect human rights in Yemen and put an end to these crimes.

Signatories: