[21/01/2026 07:15]

ADEN – SABA
The Musawah Organization for Rights and Freedoms stated that the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militias have been forcibly disappearing 74 citizens from Dhamar Governorate in their detention facilities for more than 86 days.

The organization expressed grave concern over their continued detention without allowing their families to know their whereabouts or communicate with them.

In a statement to (Saba), the organization explained that during the months of September and October of last year, the Houthi militias carried out a widespread campaign of abductions targeting academics and political and social figures, including the sick and the elderly.

The statement noted that this campaign is considered one of the largest acts of mass repression witnessed in Dhamar Governorate since the Houthi militias’ coup against the legitimate authority, and that it comes within the framework of a systematic policy aimed at terrorizing society and spreading fear among citizens.

The statement held the militia leadership in Dhamar Governorate fully responsible for the lives of the abductees and their physical and psychological safety, stressing that the continuation of these practices constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws, conventions, and treaties—foremost among them the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the four Geneva Conventions, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—all of which affirm that enforced disappearance against civilians is a crime against humanity.

The statement called on the international community to take urgent action to rescue the abductees and to exert real and effective pressure on the Houthi militia leadership to disclose their places of detention and secure their immediate and unconditional release. It emphasized the necessity of coordinated local, regional, and international efforts to stop the militias’ ongoing violations against civilians in areas under their control, ensure accountability for those responsible, and prevent impunity.

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