STC forces prevent consultative meeting between families of abductees and forcibly disappeared persons and human rights activists in Aden

On Thursday, the forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council prevented a consultative meeting between the families of the abducted and forcibly disappeared and human rights activists in the interim capital, Aden, in southern Yemen.

Human rights sources told "Yemeni Youth Net" that a military force of the Transitional Council prevented the families of the kidnapped and forcibly disappeared from entering the "Dream Hall" in the Mansoura District, north of Aden.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Independent Popular Voluntary Coordination, which follows up on the file of the forcibly disappeared, called for a consultative meeting for the families of the abducted and forcibly disappeared with lawyers and human rights activists in Aden.

The case of the kidnapped Major Ali Ashal Al-Jaadani has reopened the file of the kidnapped and forcibly disappeared in the prisons of the armed formations affiliated with the Transitional Council, in light of the movements of the tribes of Abyan and Shabwa to demand the disclosure of the fate of their sons who have been kidnapped and forcibly disappeared for years.

Why does the Presidential Council ignore the issue of the forcibly disappeared in Aden?

The issue of those forcibly disappeared in the UAE’s secret prisons - in areas under its control - was not a mysterious issue that not everyone knew about. Rather, the mothers of the detainees worked and established their own association, through which they carried out numerous protests; to demand knowing the fate of their sons… pic.twitter.com/gDGiaYRF3Y

— Sons of Aden Platform (@Aden_newss) August 22, 2024

Last Thursday, the Transitional Forces prevented the National Youth Conference from holding an event at the Coral Hotel, days after the Ministry of Youth and Sports thwarted an event for the “Active Youth Forum 3” after elements affiliated with the Transitional Forces stormed the Al-Fakhama Hall.

On Wednesday, the US National Democratic Institute and the Preparatory Committee for the National Conference expressed their deep concern about the arbitrary measures of the Transitional Council that obstruct the efforts of civil society, political parties and international organizations in Aden.

Activists circulated a circular issued by the Transitional Council's operations to its military formations and military units under its control in Aden, prohibiting the holding of any events or activities that do not raise the slogans and flag of the Transitional Council (separatist).

The Transitional Council announced in a statement last Thursday its "categorical rejection of any political activities by any party or component on the land of the south outside the scope of the National Charter, stressing that it will work to stop them, in order to preserve the security, stability and national unity of the south."

It is noteworthy that all political parties had previously closed their headquarters and suspended their activities in Aden, after a series of assassinations targeting politicians and activists, amid ongoing campaigns of incitement and intimidation against the parties by activists of the Transitional Council and loyalist mosque preachers in the city, which has become closed to them.