[02/02/2026 03:33]

ADEN-SABA
The Ministry of Legal Affairs and Human Rights has revealed that it has received a large number of complaints and reports from citizens and civil society organizations documenting serious crimes and grave human rights violations committed by Emirati officials and officers, Yemeni elements affiliated with the United Arab Emirates, and foreign mercenaries.

In a statement obtained by the Yemeni News Agency (SABA), the Ministry said the reported violations include assassinations, abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention in secret prisons, and torture.

The Ministry expressed deep condemnation and concern over the violations committed during the past period by the United Arab Emirates and forces and security agencies affiliated with it, stressing that such actions contravene the UAE’s obligations to respect Yemen’s sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens, as well as the principles upon which the Saudi-led Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy was founded.

It emphasized that Yemeni parties and individuals also bear responsibility for protecting citizens, safeguarding security, and upholding the rule of law and stability.

The statement noted that the Ministry has reviewed reports by Yemeni, regional, and international media outlets and organizations that exposed aspects of these violations, including the existence of secret detention facilities, most recently highlighted in a Human Rights Watch report dated January 30, 2026, which addressed secret prisons and detention centers previously run by the UAE in Yemen.

The Ministry said it has begun monitoring, documenting, and investigating the reported violations, including meeting with victims, their families, and witnesses, and visiting secret detention facilities described as harsh torture sites that lack basic human needs and violate all humanitarian norms, laws, and moral and religious principles.

The Ministry affirmed that these violations constitute a clear breach of the Yemeni Constitution and applicable national laws, as well as Yemen’s international human rights obligations, stressing that those responsible—including the UAE, its officials, and anyone involved—cannot be above the law or immune from accountability.

It reiterated its commitment to continuing documentation efforts, receiving complaints through official mechanisms, expanding outreach via hotlines and provincial offices, and pursuing all cases through judicial and competent authorities to ensure justice for victims and prevent impunity.

The Ministry concluded by stressing that grave crimes do not lapse with time, and that justice, human rights protection, and the rule of law remain non-negotiable national responsibilities.

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