Title

Yemen: Rights Radar Reveals Houthi Detention of 428 Civilians Celebrating Yemeni Revolution on September 26, Calling on Their Immediate Release
Amsterdam, September 28, 2024
The Amsterdam-based human rights organization Rights Radar has condemned the security campaigns carried out by Houthi militia against hundreds of civilians in various areas and governorates under their control in Yemen for preventing them from celebrating the anniversary of the Yemeni Revolution on September 26, 1962.
According to Rights Radar sources, Houthi campaigns against those celebrating the anniversary of Yemeni Revolution on September 26 in 10 Yemeni governorates had affected more than 428 civilians by the evening of September 26. These actions culminated in the Yemenis’ celebration of “lighting the torch” on the anniversary day.
According to monitored and documented reports, Houthi violations against those celebrating the Yemeni Revolution anniversary included arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, physical and verbal assaults, as well as raiding and storming of homes.
Statements from Houthi leaders called for beheading those celebrating the Yemeni Revolution Day and beating them with batons. They also shared videos showing their preparations to confront the celebrating civilians.
Ibb Governorate had the highest number of victims of Houthi violations related to the September anniversary celebrations with 179 cases, and this number is expected to rise. It was followed by the capital Sana’a with 109 cases, Dhamar Governorate with 56 cases, and Hodeidah Governorate with 37 cases. Taiz Governorate came fifth with 13 cases, followed by Al Mahwit with 12 cases, Amran with 8 cases, and both Al Bayda and Hajjah Governorates with 6 cases each. Finally, there were two cases reported in Al Dhale Governorate.
 In Ibb Governorate, the number of detainees and abductees reached 95 people, including four people who were forcibly disappeared, with their fate still unknown. Additionally, there were 48 cases of physical assault, 22 cases of verbal assault, and 14 cases of raiding and storming of homes belonging to civilians celebrating this national occasion.
 In the capital Sana’a, the number of detainees and prisoners related to the celebration of the September Revolution reached 60 cases, including nine cases of enforced disappearance, whose fate remains unknown. Additionally, there were 17 cases of storming and raiding homes, 25 cases of physical assault, and seven cases of verbal assault. 
In Dhamar Governorate, the number of detainees connected to this celebration reached 30 cases, including three cases of enforced disappearance, whose fate remains unknown. Additionally, there were 10 cases of physical assault, seven cases of verbal assault, and 11 cases of raiding and storming of homes.
In Hodeidah, 14 civilians were detained and forcibly abducted, while seven were subjected to physical assault and 10 to verbal assault. Additionally, six homes were stormed during the raids. 
In Taiz Governorate, violations against those celebrating the September Revolution anniversary were limited to the detention of 13 citizens. In Al-Mahwit, there were six cases of detention, three cases of physical assault, and three cases of storming and raiding homes.
In Amran Governorate, there were six cases of detention and enforced abduction, along with three cases of physical assault. Al Bayda Governorate also reported six cases of detention and enforced abduction, while Hajjah Governorate had four cases of detention and enforced abduction, in addition to one case of raiding and storming a home. Finally, Al Dhale recorded two cases of detention.
As for the types of violations, detentions, abductions, and enforced disappearances topped the list with 235 cases, including 16 cases of enforced disappearance in the monitored governorates. Among these cases were 16 children and one woman.
Physical assaults came second with 97 cases, including seven children. Storming and raiding homes came third with 52 cases. Verbal assaults followed with 44 cases, including five women.
In this context, Ibb Governorate emerged as a significant focal point for Houthi violations against civilians celebrating the Yemeni Revolution anniversary. Alongside tightened security measures in various areas and villages, some violations extended beyond security issues to humanitarian violations, shifting from personal targeting to collective targeting. This was evident in Al-Saddah District, where dozens of residents were detained to prevent them from celebrating Revolution Day.
In the Ar Radmah District of Ibb Governorate, the director of Arwa Educational Complex for Girls assaulted female students who were preparing a school broadcasting program about the anniversary of the September Revolution. She halted the program, tore up the papers, and violently beat the students after directing verbal insults at them and calling them “Jews”. She even referred to the September Revolution as a day of catastrophe and shame, according to local sources.
 In Jahran District of Dhamar Governorate, the Houthi militia conducted a military campaign targeting the residents of Sharara village because they collectively lit the torch of the revolution.
Rights Radar condemned the Houthi campaigns repressing civil liberties and expressed concern about the ongoing targeting and the potential for its recurrence. It stated that all civilians in areas controlled by the Houthi militia are effectively considered hostages, as they face the threat of accusations and are deprived of exercising their freedoms under duress, including celebrating national occasions.
Rights Radar has called on the Houthi militia to immediately release all those abducted and detained during these campaigns and to end the ongoing prosecutions related to these celebrations, as dozens are still being pursued by security forces in many areas under Houthi control.
 It has stressed the need to reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared and release them, and to ensure the lives and safety of all abducted and detained persons. 
It also held the Houthi militia criminally and legally responsible for any repercussions related to the safety and lives of victims of violations. 
Finally, Rights Radar has urged the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to intervene urgently to expedite the release of victims of the Houthi repression campaign. The organization has called for exerting efforts to reunite these individuals with their families, homes, and children, while ensuring their moral and physical safety from any attacks, especially given reports that many detainees have been subjected to torture and abuse.