The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has documented many grave violations against women activists, journalists, and other citizens in Yemen, in addition to the horrific crime that led to the killing of the United Nations representative Moayad Hameidi.
Actress and fashion model Intisar Al-Hammadi threatens suicide
On 22 July 2023, a member of the Yemeni Parliament in the capital, Sana’a, Ahmed Saif Hashed, posted on his Twitter account an appeal signed by dozens of human rights defenders, academics, lawyers, and various members of society, in solidarity with the actress and fashion model Intisar Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi, entitled, “Intisar Al-Hammadi threatens that she will commit suicide in prison due to harassments.”
The appeal condemned “the harassment and inhumane treatment that she is subjected to in the Central prison in Sana’a.” It held “the de facto authority in Sana’a all responsibility for preserving her life.” The appeal demanded “the immediate release” of Al-Hammadi “and the cessation of harassment and cruel and inhumane treatment of her.”
Al-Hammadi is still serving her sentence in the Central Prison, where she faces ill-treatment by her jailers. GCHR has previously documented that, on 21 July 2022, she was severely beaten by the head of the ward in which she is staying, and another prison official.
Reliable local reports received by GCHR confirmed that Al-Hammadi is facing very bad treatment by her jailers and is being punished by being placed in solitary confinement from time to time. Also, despite her suffering from some chronic diseases, she was prevented from seeing specialised doctors or obtaining the necessary medicines.
On 08 November 2021, the West Capital Municipality Court of First Instance in Sana’a, sentenced Al-Hammadi to five years in prison for alleged prostitution and drug use. On 12 February 2023, the Court of Appeal in Sana’a held a session in which it upheld the initial sentence of five years’ imprisonment issued against her. The court lacked the minimum international standards for fair trial and legal procedures, and issued its verdict without discussing the legal notes submitted by the defense team.
Human rights defender Fatima Saleh Al-Arwali on trial
On 31 July 2023, the Specialised Criminal Prosecution Office in Sana’a referred woman human rights defender Fatima Saleh Al-Arwali, head of the Al-Habitat Organisation for Human Rights Development, to trial before the Specialised Criminal Court of First Instance on a charge of allegedly “aiding aggression,” referring to the United Arab Emirates, and providing them with coordinates about the sites of the army and the popular committees.
On 14 August 2022, Al-Arwali was arrested at Al-Hawban checkpoint while she was traveling from Sana’a to the city of Aden, based on an order for her arrest issued by the Security and Intelligence Service, which has detained her in its prison since then and isolated her from the outside world.
For more information about her case, click here.
Employee of UN World Food Program (WFP) killed
The UN World Food Program (WFP) issued a statement announcing that the head of the WFP office in Taiz Governorate, Moayad Hameidi, was killed on 12 July 2023 in the city of Turbah in Taiz Governorate, after he was shot several times by gunmen riding a motorcycle, which led to his death shortly after he was taken to hospital.
The statement said that Hameidi had recently arrived in Yemen to take up his new position in Taiz, where he had worked for the WFP for nearly 18 years, including previous positions in Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Iraq. He is a Palestinian citizen from the town of Attil, northeastern Tulkarm Governorate, and holds a temporary Jordanian travel document.
Press reports confirmed that the security forces in Taiz governorate have arrested two people accused of committing the murder of Hameidi.
GCHR shares the grief and sadness of the family of Moayad Hameidi, and his UN WFP colleagues, over the loss of this personality who worked with all sincerity and dedication in providing support to citizens in the various countries of the region. GCHR condemns this brutal crime and calls on the local authorities in Taiz Governorate to do what is necessary to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
GCHR appeals to all parties to the conflict in Yemen to fulfill their obligations stipulated in the international agreements signed by Yemen, in a manner that guarantees full protection and unlimited support for international envoys, including those working with United Nations agencies, so that they can provide their necessary services to the Yemeni people who face very difficult living circumstances in light of the ongoing conflict.
Journalist Jamil Al-Samet arrested
On 01 August 2023, the security forces in Taiz Governorate, which is affiliated with the Presidential Leadership Council supported by the Saudi-led coalition, which was formed on 07 April 2022, arrested journalist Jamil Al-Samet and detained him in the prison of the Taiz Governorate Security Department in the centre of the city.
On the same day, his son, Jamal Al-Samet, posted on his Facebook page the following: “My father, journalist Jamil Al-Samet, was arrested and imprisoned by the Security Department of Taiz Governorate, on the basis of a complaint filed by the Security Department because of an article he published on his Facebook page.” The article criticised the violations committed by the security forces in Taiz Governorate against citizens, after the killing of the UN official, Moayad Hameidi.
He was released on the morning of 05 August 2023, after a campaign of wide solidarity with him by citizens and civil society organisations, including the Taiz branch of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), which issued a statement condemning the arrest and demanding, “the local authority in Taiz and the security services, to release him immediately, and provide a safe environment for all journalists and media professionals to exercise their legitimate rights and guarantee freedom of opinion and expression.”
He had already been arrested several times in the past, including a month ago, after he wrote an article in which he criticised the commander of the Taiz Governorate axis affiliated with the coalition.
Justice missing in trial of 49 citizens
Prominent human rights lawyer Abdulmajid Sabra published on his Facebook page the details of the first hearing held by the Specialised Criminal Court of First Instance in Sana’a on 08 August 2023, as part of the trial of 49 citizens who, according to the indictment submitted by the Specialised Criminal Prosecution, were charged with “aid and communication” with the countries of aggression, namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its allies, and to provide aid to them in the war.
Sabra documented a number of violations committed by the court during this session, which lacked the minimum international standards of justice and due process. Among these violations, the Public Prosecution read the indictment list during the hearing instead of the court clerk doing that, prepared cameras to film the hearing without consulting the defense team, and failed to give the defense a full copy of the case file before the start of the trial. When the defense team registered its objection to all of these improprieties, the court issued orders to the guards from the security forces to remove the members of the defense team, consisting of Sabra and fellow lawyer Mohamed Ahmed Abkar, from the courtroom.
Recommendations
GCHR urges all the parties to the conflict in Yemen to:
- Immediately release all those who have been arbitrarily or illegally arrested and detained, including actress and fashion model Intisar Al-Hammadi and woman human rights defender Fatima Al-Arwali;
- Respect public freedoms including the freedom of the press and the right to peaceful gathering; and
- Ensure that human rights defenders, including journalists, bloggers, academics and internet activists, are able to carry out their legitimate work and express themselves freely without fear of retaliation and in a manner free from all restrictions, including judicial harassment.
