Human rights association highlights serious violations against abductees in Houthi prisons

On Thursday, the Association of Mothers of Abductees highlighted the serious psychological violations that abductees are subjected to in Houthi prisons, who live under the burden of systematic psychological torture that leaves them in a tragic psychological state, through harsh torture methods.

This came in a statement published on its website, coinciding with World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10 of each year.

She pointed out the methods of torture to which the abductees are subjected, including "detaining them in solitary confinement for long periods, and constantly threatening them with death or harming their families. Some of them are detained with people suffering from mental disorders, or isolated in dark cells for months on end, which increases their suffering."

She said, "Hilmi Mahmoud Hamidan, 27 years old, one of our sons who has been kidnapped since 2020 in the Central Security Prison in Sana'a, is a stark example of the psychological suffering experienced by the kidnapped," noting that due to the prolonged detention and systematic psychological and physical torture, he entered a very bad psychological state due to daily torture.

The Association of Mothers of Abductees explained that "Hilmi", who is being held in Houthi prisons, lives in complete silence, unable to speak as a result of the repeated psychological trauma he has experienced during his years of continuous detention. It pointed out that Hilmi's family is appealing to save him before it is too late and to pressure for his unconditional release and to quickly receive appropriate treatment.

She stressed that this suffering is not limited to the kidnapped only, but extends to their families, who live in constant fear and anxiety about the fate of their loved ones. Many families suffer from psychological disorders such as trauma, depression, and constant stress as a result of not knowing the fate of their children and their fear of losing them, especially children, to their parents.

The association also confirmed that it is a real witness to the psychological effects that appear on the victims of kidnapping, whether those who are still kidnapped, through the testimonies of their families or survivors. These effects include isolation, extreme fear, anxiety in closed places, sleep disorders, and a lack of a sense of security. These symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg of the psychological pain that the kidnapped live with on a daily basis.

In the statement, the Association called on the international community and human rights organizations to take immediate action to put an end to these horrific violations and ensure the provision of necessary psychological support to the abductees and their families. It stressed that mental health and human dignity can only be achieved when this systematic psychological violence against innocent children stops.

It strongly condemned the serious violations to which the kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and arbitrarily detained persons are subjected, without holding their perpetrators accountable, and held the kidnapping parties from all parties in all prisons fully responsible for the lives and safety of its kidnapped children.