[08/06/2017 06:04]

ADEN-SABA

Minister of Human Rights Mohammed Askar and a mission from the International Committee of the Red Cross visited prisoners in Almasnoura jail in Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden.

The officials toured the prison cells, workshops, library and health clinic within the jail complex. The director of the prison, Naqeeb al-Yahri, briefed the visiting delegation on the rehabilitations of the jail facilities and the challenges and needs especially, the needs of the medical clinic.

The director confirmed that the jail is open to international human rights organizations wanting to visit and assess the conditions of prisoners.

He expressed readiness to promote cooperation with such organizations and that these organizations will be viewed as partners.

The Minister of Human Rights said the ministry is ready to receive any complaints/greievances and facilitate inspection visits by any human rights groups, local or international, to the prisons at any time.

Before the visit, the minister had discussed with the ICRC mission the situation of prisoners and abductees in custody of the Saleh-Houthi militias and the possibility of ICRC visit to them to press the militias into alleviating their suffering and provide them with the right of communication with their relatives.

The minister acquainted the mission about the message of the Mother of Abductees in the militia's prisons. The mother's mission is that their children are suffering inhumane treatment in the Houthi jails with no reaction or interest shown toward them by the ICRC.

A son of the imprisoned Defense Minister Mahmoud Asubeihi testified to the ICRC mission about the case of his father saying his family don't know anything about his father despite the many contact attempts with the militia.

He urged the ICRC to press the militia into releasing his father and other abductees as mandated by the UNSC resolution, or at least to allow communication between the abducted minister and his relatives.

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