Houthi leader assaults vegetable stall owner in Ibb city.

In a concerning display of power, a Houthi leader attacked a vegetable stall owner in the central Yemeni city of Ibb, highlighting an ongoing campaign against street vendors and stallholders by the Houthi forces.

Recorded Assault Sparks Outrage

Social media activists have widely shared a video capturing the moment when a Houthi official, identified as Mohammed Hameed Al-Mutawakel, aggressively confronted Faez Saleh Al-Amari, a vegetable seller from the rural district of Ibb, at the city’s central market. The footage shows Al-Mutawakel, appointed by the militia as the director for the northern section, humiliating Al-Amari by pushing him, throwing his crutch, brandishing a weapon, and threatening him with imprisonment.

In a subsequent recording, Al-Amari revealed that Al-Mutawakel not only physically assaulted him but also subjected him to verbal abuse, brandished a weapon at him, and detained him for an hour without consideration for his health condition, which includes heart problems and a slipped disc.

Wider Campaign of Violations

This incident occurs amidst a broader campaign of violations by the Houthi militia against street vendors and stallholders in Ibb. For weeks, the militia has been forcing them to relocate to a designated street, demanding monthly rents for the new location. These actions have already resulted in the death of one vendor from distress and pushed dozens into unemployment.

The crackdown on street vendors and the aggressive behavior of Houthi leaders like Al-Mutawakel have drawn significant attention to the plight of small business owners in Yemen, facing not only the challenges of a war-torn economy but also the brutalities of militia governance.

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