Yemen’s September 26 Revolution Day Overshadowed by Houthi Crackdown, Arbitrary Arrests

Last updated on October 16th, 2024 at 10:59 am

Human Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights (CIHRS) said today that dozens of people were arrested by Houthi authorities during the last week of September 2024 for peacefully celebrating or sharing on social media the anniversary of Yemen’s “September 26 Revolution,” which took place in 1962 and marked the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic. The Houthis, who control most of northern and central Yemen as well as the country’s capital, Sanaa, feel that September 21 should be celebrated instead.

Many of the protesters have been unfairly detained by the Houthis because they have not filed charges against them. All individuals who were arrested for expressing their right to free expression and assembly should be released immediately, as should all others who are still being held without cause, including the several UN and civil society employees who have been locked up and vanished over the past four months.

“The crackdown on protests and any activities that diverge from Houthi beliefs and ideologies is yet another violation in the extensive record of human rights abuses they have committed in Yemen with total impunity,”stated Amna Guellali, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights’ director of research.

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Regarding the protests, the Houthis started arresting dozens of people in the governorates of Sanaa, Amran, Dhamar, Ibb, Hodeidah, Al-Mahwit, Taizz, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhalea, and Hajjah about September 21. The goal of these arrests and a ban on any kind of protest seems to be to stop any kind of mass organising that would pose a threat to their authority. At least 209 people, including children and the elderly “some of whom are over 75 years old” were arrested in the Amran governorate alone, according to a journalist CIHRS. As per the Yemeni victims’ association, the Abductees Mothers Association, a considerable proportion of the imprisoned individuals are youngsters and teens aged between 13 and 19.

The Houthis have frequently arrested individuals for flying or wearing Yemeni flags or for having them on their vehicles. “They didn’t celebrate or do anything, they just had the Yemeni flag on their car, they told us you are celebrating September 26 but not September 21 and took us to prison,” stated one of the men who was interviewed in relation to the imprisonment of two of his family members. 
In all situations, the Houthis neglected to present an arrest or search warrant, which is against both Yemeni and international law. Article 132 of the Yemeni Criminal Procedures Code states that it is illegal to arrest someone without a warrant or specific charges. International human rights legislation is violated when someone is in custody without a warrant or a foundation in national or international law, as well as when they are in custody without being accused right away.