Organizations demand international action to release 136 captives held in Houthi militia jails.

Human rights organizations are urging the international community to take serious action to secure the release of 136 individuals abducted or forcibly disappeared in prisons run by the Houthi militias, backed by the Iranian regime. Among the detainees are 51 United Nations employees and former staff members of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Marking the International Day of the Disappeared

The call came during a human rights event held in Marib City, organized by the National Authority for Prisoners and Abductees and the Di Yemeni Organization for Rights and Development. The event commemorated the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed annually on August 30th.

A Growing Concern

Organizations have documented 1,585 cases of enforced disappearance in areas under Houthi control over the past years, with 136 individuals still missing, including 51 associated with the United Nations and the US Embassy. Since their coup against the legitimate state institutions at the end of 2014, the Houthi militias have adopted enforced disappearance as a method of intimidation to silence opposition and subdue society. The statement calls upon the United Nations, its special envoy to Yemen, and all relevant international organizations to take decisive steps to free all those kidnapped or disappeared by the Houthi militias, to seek justice for the victims, and to condemn the perpetrators of these violations.

Pressing for International Intervention

The organizations emphasized the necessity of pressuring the Houthi militias to cease their interference in the work of international and UN organizations, attempting to impose their agenda on them and divert their humanitarian activities to serve their own goals. They also warned of the continued hate speech and incitement practiced by the Houthis against international and UN organizations operating in their controlled areas, highlighting the severe implications such actions have on the activities of these organizations and on humanitarian efforts overall.

This call to action underscores the urgent need for international intervention to address the human rights violations in Yemen and to secure the release of those unjustly detained or disappeared by Houthi militias.

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