Information Minister condemns Houthi militia’s kidnapping of female staff from global and local organizations.

Yemen’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani, has vehemently condemned the ongoing abductions of female employees from international and local humanitarian organizations by the Houthi militia, which is backed by Iran. The minister highlighted the enforced disappearance of these women for over 60 days as a stark representation of the tragic situation faced by Yemeni women in areas under Houthi control. These women are subjected to oppressive practices, crimes, and systematic violations.

In a press statement, Al-Eryani specified that the Houthi militia had kidnapped several notable figures at the beginning of June. Among those abducted were Samira Belh, a field coordinator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Hodeidah province; Rabab Al-Madhwahi, head of the information department at the American Democratic Institute (NDI); Sarah Al-Fa’iq, the executive director of the Civil Coalition for Peace; and an employee of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), all of whom have been denied any contact with their families.

Al-Eryani further pointed out that since their coup in 2015, the Houthi militia has kidnapped thousands of women from their homes, workplaces, public streets, and checkpoints. These women have been taken to secret prisons and detention centers, falsely accused, and subjected to various forms of extortion, psychological and physical torture, harassment, and sexual assault, largely due to their political, media, and human rights activities. These actions aim to restrict their freedoms, participation in public life, and mobility in public spaces and workplaces.

The minister called on human rights organizations, bodies advocating for women’s issues, and those against violence towards women to play their role in denouncing the continuous Houthi violations against Yemeni women. These acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Al-Eryani urged the international community and the United Nations to apply genuine pressure on the Houthi militia to release all abductees and those forcibly hidden in their illegal detention facilities. These women live in dire conditions, facing degrading and harsh treatment, deprived of healthcare, and basic life necessities. He also called for the pursuit of those involved in these crimes and violations, and for initiating the designation of the militia as a “global terrorist organization.”

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