Yemeni Investigation Committee Documents Testimonies of 100 Victims of Arrest and Enforced Disappearance in Hadhramaut

SadaNews - The National Commission for Investigating Allegations of Human Rights Violations reported that it has documented painful and harsh testimonies directly from more than 100 victims who have faced arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance since 2016 in the coastal region of Hadhramaut.

Committee member, lawyer Ishraq al-Maqtari, told Al Jazeera Net that the victims, who belong to various social segments, provided testimonies about the existence of 5 illegal prisons where they were held, subjected to torture, enforced disappearance, and cruel and degrading treatment.

Al-Maqtari added that the victims directly accused military and security leaders, along with components loyal to the Southern Transitional Council and the UAE, particularly after local authorities in Hadhramaut accused the Transitional Council and the UAE of managing secret prisons in the province, which the UAE Ministry of Defense denied in a statement.

Completion of Procedures

Al-Maqtari confirmed that the commission, established by presidential decree in 2012, will analyze these statements and conduct the legal qualification and final drafting of the investigations.

She noted that the commission continues to document victims of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance and inspect the government service facilities used for detention, mentioning that the commission conducted an initial viewing of three locations, some of which contain cramped rooms where detainees cannot even stand.

She revealed that the commission is in the process of continuing the investigation and completing legal files to send them to the judiciary to start accountability and prosecution of perpetrators, to provide justice for victims, and to make recommendations to the Yemeni government and the Human Rights Council.

Additionally, the official news agency "Saba" reported that the member of the Yemeni Presidential Council and the governor of Hadhramaut, Salem al-Khambashi, was briefed on the field efforts of the National Commission for Investigation, including the situation of illegal prisons in Hadhramaut and following up on reports related to unlawful detention.

The report mentioned that the meeting with the commission addressed its follow-up on the developments of the human rights situation linked to security and military aspects experienced by the province in recent times, ensuring the revelation of the truth and justice for victims who have faced any violations.

According to Saba, al-Khambashi emphasized his full support for the work of the commission and facilitating its field tasks, contributing to establishing the rule of law, protecting rights and freedoms, achieving justice for victims, and holding accountable anyone proven to be involved in any violations.

Allegations and Denials

Al-Khambashi accused, in a press conference the day before yesterday, armed groups loyal to the president of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, and the UAE of being responsible for managing secret prisons in the province and committing numerous violations.

On the other hand, the UAE Ministry of Defense denied Al-Khambashi's claims, describing the accusations as false and misleading allegations that are not based on any evidence or truth, according to its statement.

The UAE ministry stated that the "mentioned facilities are merely military barracks, operation rooms, and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground, which is a common and known practice in various military bases and installations around the world, and carries no implications outside the context of natural military operations."

Previous Reports

In the past ten years, UN reports and those from local and international human rights organizations have documented numerous cases of enforced disappearance across many provinces, committed by local and regional conflict parties.

Human Rights Watch documented, in 2017, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of 49 individuals in Aden and Hadhramaut, including at least 38 detained by Emirati-backed forces.

In 2018, Amnesty International issued a report calling for investigations into crimes of enforced disappearance and torture in detention facilities in southern Yemen, confirming the disappearance of dozens of men after being arrested by Yemeni forces operating outside government authority, with many subjected to torture and fears that some died in custody.

The organization also investigated 51 cases of detention between 2016 and 2018 in several southern provinces by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, stating that most of these cases involved enforced disappearance, with 19 men among them still missing.

These investigations and steps come in the wake of the directives from the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, last week to close illegal prisons in Aden, Lahij, and Dhale, and to release detainees against whom no charges were proven, rekindling hopes among the families of victims and the forcibly disappeared.

Source: Yemeni Press