Yemen: Houthi Militia admits to kidnapping 2,800 civilians

Underscoring the brutality of the Houthi militia, the Iran-backed militia in Yemen has admitted abducting more than 2,800 civilians in the past 12 months, including women and children, on suspicion of spying. The militia, which took over the capital Sana’a in 2014 after overthrowing the internationally recognized government, has been accused of committing war crimes against the Yemeni people throughout the eight-year war. Many human rights groups have said over the years: “The Houthis have displaced thousands of families through kidnappings, home bombings, torture of prisoners, and detention of civilians without proper legal representation”.

Crimes and violence

The international newspaper, The National, reports that Houthi security forces have abducted 2,619 civilians from different parts of the country on charges of supporting the Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting legitimacy. In addition, 183 people are accused of rallying to support the Yemeni government and 54 others are accused of spying and participating. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Ajri, spokesman for the militia’s interior, said: “The reasons we kidnapped civilians are because of their contact with the Yemeni government and the coalition supporting it”.

The Houthi militia has stepped up security measures over the past few months by increasing its persecution and kidnapping campaigns against hundreds of civilians across the capital, according to human rights groups.

Children’s camps

Local Yemeni media confirmed that the militias refused to provide any details about the identity of the kidnapped, their whereabouts, and their current state of health, while the European Union said: Rebels have forcibly recruited more than 10,000 children since 2014, and European Parliament member Fulvio Martusciello said: “The Houthis in Yemen have forcibly recruited 10,300 children and opened 52 training camps for thousands of children and adolescents,” he said. “The Houthis incited violence and promoted the group’s ideology through special lectures to brainwash students, fill them with extremist ideologies, and involve them in the group’s military actions.”

According to the international newspaper, The National, Yemeni government officials urged the international community to condemn the crimes committed by the Houthis and to prosecute those responsible at the International Criminal Court. This development comes at a time when the militias and the government agreed on a nationwide ceasefire.