Title

Yemen: Rights Radar Reveals Houthi Arrest Campaigns in Ibb Have Resulted in Over 480 Civilian Arrests, Including 7 Women and 51 Children, Over Two and a Half Years The Hague – August 6, 2025 Rights Radar for Human Rights, based in The Hague, Netherlands, has condemned the arrest campaigns and security raids conducted by the Houthi militia across various Yemeni governorates and areas under their control, particularly in Ibb governorate, which has become the most severely affected by these campaigns. According to the Rights Radar monitoring team in Ibb, the Houthis have abducted more than 480 individuals through at least seven armed campaigns targeting dozens of villages, districts, and neighborhoods across the governorate. These campaigns are in addition to routine pursuits of those labeled as opponents by the Houthis within their controlled areas. Documented reports indicate that the Houthi campaigns of pursuit and abduction during the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 targeted more than 480 civilians, including seven women and 51 children. These individuals were teachers, university students, media and political activists, as well as social and humanitarian workers. The peak of these oppressive campaigns occurred in September 2023, resulting in the abduction of 95 individuals, including 11 children and six women. Another severe campaign took place in September 2024, resulting in the kidnapping of 250 individuals, including 24 children. These abduction and arrest campaigns were accompanied by other violations, notably the raiding of private properties such as homes, shops, and workplaces, followed by physical and verbal assaults causing significant physical harm and psychological terror, sometimes even leading to enforced disappearances. Documented information shows that these Houthi security campaigns have affected most areas and villages in Ibb governorate, focusing particularly on areas surrounding the governorate’s center and its rural suburbs. Geographically, regarding the list of Houthi arrest campaigns in Ibb governorate: • Al-Mashannah ranked first, witnessing approximately 64 cases, • followed by Dhi Al-Sufal with 45 cases, • The suburbs of Ibb city came third with 35 cases, • followed by Al-Dhihar with 30 cases, • Hazm Al-Udain came fifth with 24 cases, • followed by Ibb city center with 23 cases, • Al-Saddah came in seventh place with 21 cases, • followed by Al-Udain and Mudhaikhera with 16 cases each, • Al-Shi’er and Al-Sabrah came in ninth place with 15 cases each, • And finally, Al-Sayyani with 12 cases. • The remaining cases were distributed across other areas of Ibb governorate. Naturally, civilians in Ibb, the third-largest Yemeni governorate in terms of population, continue to suffer from the Houthi militia’s oppressive policies. Many residents of Ibb consider themselves hostages to the Houthis, each feeling vulnerable to violations at any moment, especially if they express opposition to Houthi sectarian policies or resist their oppressive measures. An example highlighting the severity of the Houthi campaigns in Ibb governorate was the mass arrest carried out by the Houthis against civilians in September 2023, targeting areas such as Al-Saddah, Al-Dhihar, Al-Mashannah, and Yarim, in addition to the governorate’s center, Ibb city itself. These campaigns resulted in the abduction and detention of more than 95 individuals within just four days (from September 26 to 30). These campaigns specifically targeted participants in celebrations commemorating Yemeni Revolution Day (September 26), including students, teachers, and political and media activists, some of whom were tortured and forcibly disappeared. Similar incidents recurred in another campaign conducted from May 19 to July 10, 2025, related to celebrations of Yemen’s Unity Day. This resulted in the abduction and detention of 48 civilians, mostly academics, highly educated professionals, community figures, teachers, students, and employees. Another campaign was conducted by the Houthis in Al-Udain district at the beginning of June 2025, targeting teachers and humanitarian activists. The victims were taken to official and secret detention facilities where some were subjected to physical and psychological abuse and denied visitation rights. Some detainees faced financial extortion in exchange for their release or even for communication with their families. According to documented evidence, Houthi militants conducted nighttime raids on homes, physically assaulted residents, and caused severe panic among women and children. Such campaigns against Houthi opponents are still ongoing. Sources recently reported another wave of arrests by the Houthis targeting activists, teachers, academics, lawyers, banking employees, and influential community figures, as part of ongoing repressive measures against residents in Ibb governorate. Rights Radar sources revealed that on July 21, 2025, Houthi militants raided the University of Science and Technology branch in Ibb governorate and arrested its HR Manager, Hamoud al-Muqbali. Concurrently, they raided Saba Bank in Ibb city, arresting employee Nashwan al-Hajj, in addition to detaining others such as lawyer Fadl al-Amami, teacher Abdulwahid Qasem, and Dr. Mohammed al-Sharih. Recent Houthi campaigns have increasingly targeted highly educated and influential community groups, particularly teachers and academics. Houthi militants, accompanied by female members of their special forces known as Al-Zainabiyat, broke into the home of Dr. Abdulhameed al-Masbahi in Ibb city. They destroyed doors, ransacked the home’s contents, confiscated mobile phones, laptops, and other devices, and caused intense fear among the women and children present. Similarly, Houthi forces raided the home of academic Dr. Mohammed Hadi al-Fallahi, already detained for several months, abducting his son and imprisoning him alongside his father in the Houthi-run Political Security prison. PhD researcher Mohammed Nu’man al-Khulani, director of the Quran Recitation Center at the Charitable Association for Quran Education in Ibb, was also arrested and imprisoned, following his colleague Dr. Mohammed Qaid Aqalan, director of the Quran House in Al-Yahari district, Ibb governorate. Rights Radar strongly condemns these repressive campaigns and warns the Houthi militia of the consequences of their violations, emphasizing that international human rights treaties uphold victims’ rights to seek justice and hold perpetrators accountable. This is a human and legal right that does not expire over time. Rights Radar further denounces all acts of oppression and restrictions on freedoms targeting civilians, especially those unable to protect themselves legally. Rights Radar demands that the Houthi militia immediately and unconditionally release all detainees arrested during these oppressive campaigns. The organization also calls on the Houthis to halt illegal pursuits of civilians, firmly rejecting any justification for violations that contradict national and international human rights conventions. Rights Radar holds Houthi leaders at all levels fully criminally and legally liable for all physical and psychological abuses inflicted on detainees in their prisons, whether in Ibb governorate or elsewhere. Rights Radar also urges the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to take immediate and effective measures to protect detainees held by the Houthis and to prevent further violations against civilians.