Houthis Preempt September 26 Anniversary with Arbitrary Abductions in Sanaa and Ibb

25th September 2025

3 minutes read

Houthis Preempt September 26 Anniversary with Arbitrary Abductions in Sanaa and Ibb

Human rights and security sources revealed that Houthi militias have abducted around 132 civilians from Sanaa and Ibb governorates in recent days.

According to the sources, the Houthis escalated their crackdown between September 20 and 23, targeting journalists, activists, educators, and social figures in connection with the 63rd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, which established the Republic.

Arbitrary Raids

Houthi intelligence forces reportedly raided dozens of homes at random across urban and rural areas of Sanaa and Ibb, abducting anyone who marked the anniversary of the revolution, even on social media. Approximately 132 civilians were detained between last Saturday and Tuesday.

Among those abducted were Yemeni satirical poet and writer Orus Al-Iryani and journalist Majed Zayed, both taken from Sanaa.

The militias also stormed several villages, surrounding homes in Hamdan, where they kidnapped Sheikh Aref Mohammed Qutran and his son Abdelsalam, along with Hamid Abdelwahab Al-Asad, Mohammed Abduh Sharyan, and Yahya Rashed Al-Maafa. Their alleged crime: posting the national flag on social media and showing solidarity with a previous detainee, Jamil Sharyan, who had been arrested for the same reason.

Since August, the Houthis have been carrying out ongoing campaigns of abduction and repression in areas under their control against anyone celebrating the September 26 Revolution, which marked the founding of the Republic and the fall of the Imamate.

A Feared Symbol

The commemoration of the September 26 Revolution remains a significant occasion on which Yemenis — even in Houthi-controlled areas — reaffirm their rejection of a return to monarchical rule, once led by the Houthis’ forefathers. This symbolism heightens the militia’s fear that the date could spark a surge of popular anger against them.

Houthi Anxiety

Reflecting this fear, the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Interior announced it would suppress any celebrations related to the anniversary, claiming it was necessary to protect the so-called “internal front.”

The ministry alleged that the annual commemoration was part of “suspicious plots backed by the American and Israeli enemy to undermine the internal front,” warning against what it described as “treason and collaboration.”

These abductions have triggered concern among rights groups and the Yemeni government, who describe them as “arbitrary arrests” targeting civilians without any legal basis.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate expressed deep concern, holding the Houthis fully responsible for the kidnappings. It demanded the immediate release of the detainees and an end to harassment campaigns against journalists, writers, and opinion leaders, describing them as blatant violations of freedom of expression and international law.

Similarly, the House of Journalism organization stated it had received numerous reports from families, colleagues, and friends regarding the abduction of 30 journalists, writers, and activists in Sanaa over the past two days. The NGO strongly condemned these crimes and urged the international community and organizations concerned with freedom of expression to act swiftly to stop the violations and hold those responsible accountable.

The Yemeni government also denounced “the repressive campaign carried out by Houthi militias,” calling it a continuation of arbitrary arrests targeting hundreds of citizens who intended to celebrate the revolution or raise the national flag.

Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar Al-Eryani, stated that “these violations expose the extent of fear gripping the Houthis whenever a national occasion approaches, driving them into a state of collective hysteria that leads them to chase citizens and raid homes simply for raising the flag or expressing loyalty to the Republic.”

He added that this conduct underscores the Houthis’ deep fear of national identity symbols, affirming that the values of the revolution and the republic remain alive in the hearts of Yemenis and that all attempts to erase them are destined to fail.