Alarming figures and vows of prosecution: Yemen’s Dhamar under the guillotine of Houthi terrorism
About 100 kilometers south of Sanaa lies the Yemeni city of Dhamar, once a vital crossroads for caravans and travelers, now turned into a scene of fear and oppression.
For over eleven years under Houthi control, Dhamar, the hometown of the renowned poet Abdullah Al-Bardouni, has become synonymous with terror and systematic human rights violations. According to a recent report by the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, more than 24,827 documented violations have been committed by the militia since 2015.
The report, covering the period from January 1, 2015, to November 10, 2025, identifies sixteen categories of crimes, including extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, forced disappearances, torture, and large-scale destruction.
Extrajudicial executions top the list, with 536 documented cases, including 53 children and 37 women. Another 298 civilians were injured, among them 43 children and 27 women. The Houthis also carried out 22 assassinations targeting tribal leaders, activists, and political figures.
The report records 2,341 abductions of civilians since 2014, with 689 people still in detention. Among them are politicians, journalists, educators, military personnel, children, and community leaders. Additionally, 128 cases of forced disappearance remain unresolved, with detainees held in secret prisons.
Dhamar has effectively become a vast detention complex, with 26 prisons identified and 30 new cemeteries, dubbed “gardens,” established by the Houthis. The report also notes 18 cases of rape, 274 instances of psychological and physical torture, 12 deaths under torture, and 15 deaths resulting from the use of hostages as human shields.
The militias have blown up 39 homes, six commercial buildings, and two mosques, while looting or setting fire to hundreds of others. In total, 2,304 houses were raided, and 267 plundered. Public facilities were not spared either, with 109 government buildings seized, some converted into military outposts.
The report also highlights 4,781 cases of child recruitment among boys aged 12 to 16. Of these, 2,019 were killed in battle, 1,475 wounded, and 132 captured.
Journalists and human rights defenders are among the main victims, with 154 violations against freedom of expression recorded, including killings, arrests, and enforced disappearances. The Saba News Agency building in Dhamar was turned into a Houthi propaganda and operations center.
Finally, Mohammed Al-Omda, president of the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, vowed to pursue international prosecution against 80 Houthi leaders implicated in these crimes, stressing that “such violations are crimes of a special nature that do not expire with time.”
