Arrests, human rights violations, and brutal torture… Part of the crimes committed by the Brotherhood in Lahij, Yemen
The governorate of Lahij in southern Yemen is witnessing a state of frustration and anger due to the arrests by forces loyal to the Brotherhood organization of around (25) civilians for the past (6) months. The detainees have reportedly been subjected to torture and violations inside prisons, amidst repeated demands for their release being ignored.
According to testimonies from some relatives of the detainees to “News Yemen,” the leadership of the Fourth Brigade refuses to release their detained relatives, held unlawfully in a military prison. The leadership also denies them the permission to visit and check on their well-being since their abduction from their homes in August 2023. The leadership of the brigade accuses the detainees of being involved in a bombing operation targeting a military convoy affiliated with the brigade in the area. This is denied by the citizens, who emphasize that these are malicious and fabricated charges, especially as the brigade’s leadership insists on not transferring the case file to the security and judicial authorities for investigation and resolution.
According to sources, the detainees have been subjected to brutal torture since their detention in the military prison, leading to the deterioration of the health of some of them. It is noted that the brigade’s leadership refuses to refer the files of the detainees to any specialized security authority in Lahij to address the issue, fearing the exposure of the torture crimes they have committed over the past months. The violations and crimes against the detainees have prompted the National Committee for Investigating Human Rights Violations to take action and descend to the directorate of Al Maqatirah to uncover the facts and advocate for the illegally detained victims inside the brigade’s prison.
The sources mentioned that the National Committee has sent a memorandum to the leadership of the Taiz Axis to inquire about the procedures followed towards the detained individuals from the Al Maqatirah region. The committee questions the failure to refer their files to the judiciary since their imprisonment in a military facility, which is in violation of the law, in addition to the fact that their detention period has exceeded (6) months.
