Parties to the conflict in Yemen continue to commit serious violations that undermine the civil and human rights of all citizens, including journalists, human rights defenders and activists. Once again, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) calls on all parties to respect freedom of expression and basic human rights in Yemen, and to end the practice of arresting, attacking and threatening journalists, as well as detaining them after the end of their sentence. These are among the recommendations GCHR is making to the authorities in Yemen, which is being reviewed during the United Nations Universal Periodic Review Process (UPR) this week.
Judge Abdulwahab Qatran remains in arbitrary detention
On 08 February 2024, Mohammed Qatran, son of the arbitrarily detained judge Abdulwahab Qatran, posted on his Facebook page that “My father is still in solitary confinement, and he has been in solitary confinement for more than a month and six days with the Security and Intelligence Service in Sana’a, subjected to psychological torture, and we do not know whether physical torture is being practiced against him or not.” He explained, “They have practiced and continue to practice ongoing violations of his rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the law since his arrest. He is forbidden from meeting or choosing a lawyer, and he is even forbidden from meeting with any human rights organisation or activist.”
He also talked about being deprived of family visits, saying, “We, his family, were not able to communicate with him except for one time when they allowed my brother Ahmed to see him for a few minutes from behind a glass barrier and did not allow him to talk to him except through a quick phone call. My brother Ahmed was detained for four hours after that visit. As for the second visit, he was not allowed to meet him except from behind the glass barrier as well, and the phone call lasted less than twenty seconds, as the call was cut off when my father said, ‘I am dead’.”
In another serious development in his case, the Supreme Judicial Council decided, in a session held on 12 February 2024, to lift the judicial immunity of one of the judges “due to having committed violations in his judicial function,” according to the text of the decision. Some local reports stated that this decision was intended to affect Judge Qatran.
Other reports received by GCHR stated that two charges were brought against him: allegedly manufacturing alcohol in his home and allegedly collaborating with the Saudi aggression against Yemen, but these reports have not yet been confirmed.
On 02 January 2024, the Houthi group arrested retired Judge Qatran, after raiding his home located in the capital, Sana’a. Informed local sources confirmed that he has been detained since his arrest in a solitary confinement cell at the Security and Intelligence Service. He has been prevented from communicating with his family and his lawyer, raising fears that he may be subjected to torture. For more information about the case, click here.
Once again, GCHR declares its full solidarity with Judge Abdulwahab Qatran, and urges the de facto government in Sana’a, the Houthi group, to release him immediately without conditions, and to refrain from harassing him.
Journalist arrested briefly
On 30 January 2024, journalist Ali Jabour, an independent journalist who runs the Miun news website, was arrested by members of the security forces at the Al-Waht military checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Aden. This checkpoint belongs to the forces of the Ring of Aden, which in turn is controlled by the Southern Transitional Council. He was detained and interrogated for six hours, after which he was released.
Reliable sources confirmed that his detention took place in a dirty cell less than two metres long and filled with dirt and insects. The interrogation continued throughout his detention, which lasted from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. He was subjected to ill-treatment and hurtful words.
In August 2016, the Houthi group stormed his home when he was working as a correspondent for Belqees Satellite Channel in the Mustaba District in Hajjah Governorate, and arrested his father, who was 60 years old at the time and suffering from chronic health problems. He was released after a month in detention.
GCHR calls on the Southern Transitional Council, to respect public freedom including freedom of the press and refrain from targeting journalists in addition to train the security forces to know that their duty is to protect citizens and not harass them.
Journalist targeted due to her peaceful sit-in
On 27 October 2023, journalist Wafaa Al-Matari was arrested due to her sit-in in the city of Taiz to demand her rights. She was detained in Al-Saleh Prison for Women in the same city for 11 days, and was only released on bail by a commercial guarantor on 08 November 2023.
The Public Prosecution in Taiz threatened to imprison her again if she resumed the sit-in.
Her mobile phones were confiscated when she entered prison, and they were not returned to her until after her persistent demands, and the authorities completely erased all the data stored on them.
The journalist is from the Al-Hawban area in Taiz Governorate, which is under the control of the Houthi group. She demanded that officials pay her unpaid job benefits, but to no avail. She then wrote in a WhatsApp group about the violation of her rights, and she was arrested after her sit-in.
Some local reports confirmed that she may be exposed to a trial solely because of her use of social media to raise her case and peacefully demand her rights.
GCHR urges the Houth group to refrain from targeting journalist Wafaa Al-Matari as she has every right to express her views or protest peacefully.
Recommendations
Ahead of Yemen’s UN Universal Periodic Review Process (UPR) this week, GCHR is making the following recommendations at the UPR Pre-session in Geneva:
Freedom of Expression – Journalists
- Stop the use of violence against journalists and representatives of the media, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
- Release all journalists who are currently detained for exercising their Freedom of Expression.
- Ensure the freedom of expression and media freedom by ending all legal restrictions on media organisations and journalists.
Freedom of Expression – human rights defenders and civil society
- Release all human rights defenders (HRDs) and representatives of civil society who are currently detained and stop the practice of abducting and detaining them in undisclosed locations without access to their families and or lawyers.
- End the legal harassment and intimidation of HRDs and civil society activists.
Freedom of Association/Assembly
- Adopt best practices on the freedom of peaceful assembly, as put forward by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in 2012, which calls for procedures in which there is simple notification of assemblies being held, rather than explicit permission being needed to assemble.
- Allow peaceful assemblies by members of civil society.
