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Yemen: Rights Radar Reports 138 Civilians Detained by Houthis in Dhamar, Including 85 Forcibly Disappeared, and Urges Their Immediate Release The Hague, 19 November 2025 Rights Radar Organization for Human Rights, based in The Hague, Netherlands, has condemned the security campaigns carried out by the Houthi militia, which have resulted in the detention of 138 civilians, including four children, in various cities and districts of Dhamar Governorate since last September. Despite more than two weeks having passed since the Houthi detention campaigns in Dhamar, 85 individuals remain forcibly disappeared, with no information available about their fate. In addition, 25 others are still being held in various prisons, while only 28 detainees have been released. Information received from Rights Radar’s monitoring team indicates that most of those abducted are former officials in the local authority of Dhamar Governorate, as well as teachers, academics, university students, and activists in the humanitarian and community fields. Many of them are also elderly or suffer from chronic illnesses. The detention of civilians is a blatant violation of Yemeni law and a clear breach of international agreements and covenants, especially those related to the protection of individuals from enforced disappearance, in accordance with the provisions of the four Geneva Conventions and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. What further confirms the illegitimacy of all Houthi measures against the victims of these detentions is the presence of political motives and pre-prepared accusations. Yemenis have become accustomed to this type of Houthi violation, which is often accompanied by allegations of collaboration with enemies, espionage, and similar charges. Our reliable sources in Dhamar Governorate confirmed that 52 of the detainees were arrested for celebrating the anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, while 86 others were detained on politically motivated charges. All the detainees were abducted from their homes, workplaces, markets, public roads, or while visiting friends or relatives. Several detentions involved intimidation and violence, terrorizing the victims’ families, children, and neighbors. The sources also revealed that the Houthi detention campaigns encompassed all districts of Dhamar Governorate, with the highest number recorded in Al-Hadda area, totaling around 29 cases. This was followed by the governorate center with 26 cases, Jabal al-Sharq with 16 cases, Jahran with 11 cases, Maghrib Ans with 6 cases, Duran Ans with five cases, Al-Manar with three cases, and likewise three cases in Ans, followed by two cases in Utmah, and five cases in Wusabain. Houthi violations have extended to targeting residents of Dhamar not only within the governorate but also by pursuing and arresting them outside it. Confirmed reports indicated that an additional 31 civilians from Dhamar were abducted in other areas under Houthi control. According to the families of the victims in Dhamar, dozens of the detainees have been forcibly disappeared; the fate of some remains unknown, and their families have no information about them or any means of contacting them. It is regrettable that more than half a month has passed without the Houthi militia responding to humanitarian appeals to release the detainees — or even allowing their families to communicate with them or pay visits. Rights Radar expresses its strong rejection and condemnation of these violations, calling on the Houthi militia to immediately release all detainees and to disclose the fate of those who have been forcibly disappeared. Rights Radar also holds the Houthis fully responsible for the safety and lives of the detainees and demands that they guarantee each detainee the right to receive necessary medical and psychological care. In all cases, we stress the need to safeguard all their human and legal rights as guaranteed by law. We also call on the Houthi militia to put an end to the campaigns of pursuit and detention of civilians in Dhamar Governorate, as well as in the governorates of Ibb, Sana’a, Al-Hodeidah, and others. Finally, we urge the international community, represented by the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and other concerned officials, to intervene urgently to pressure the Houthis to expedite the release of all detainees.