Prisoners and Abductees Authority: Houthi execution decisions against civilians abort peace in Yemen

On Sunday, the National Authority for Prisoners and Abductees condemned the support of the so-called Specialized Appellate Criminal Division affiliated with the Houthi militias for the death penalty issued against the abductees Ismail Abu Al-Ghaith, Saghir Farea, and Abdul Aziz Al-Aqili.

The authority said in a statement that the abductees were arrested by the armed Houthi group in October 2015, as part of a kidnapping campaign targeting its political opponents, stressing that the trials conducted were sham, lacking the most basic standards of justice and integrity, and that all procedures followed were legally invalid.

The statement indicated that the kidnappers were subjected to forced detention that lasted five years and five months, deprived of the rights of defense and subjected to psychological and physical torture. The Commission condemned "the shedding of blood in the name of the judiciary," warning that the continued human rights violations by the Houthi group threaten peace efforts in Yemen.

The Commission called on the international community to take urgent action to pressure the Houthi group to stop implementing and canceling the execution decisions. The Commission also called for the immediate release of all political kidnappers in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2216, and to compensate the victims for the damages they suffered.