Yemen’s Chief of Staff Saghir bin Aziz accused the Iran-backed Houthi militias of killing dozens of detainees under torture in their prisons.
He called for international pressure to be exerted on the militias to make them cease their violations, especially regarding the torture of prisoners and recruitment of children.
He made his remarks in wake of government and rights reports that said the Houthis have intensified their campaign of arrests against politicians, even among leading members of the General People's Congress in Sanaa.
The militias have also accused prisoners of collaborating with the United States and Israel, with rights groups expressing their concern that they may be executed.
Bin Saghir held talks in Marib with Daphnee Maret, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Yemen, on the situation of the prisoners held in Houthi jails and efforts carried out by rights groups in addressing the militias’ crimes and violations, reported the Saba state news agency.
Bin Saghir stressed that Yemen’s legitimate authorities are offering all forms of support to the ICRC so that it can perform its duties. He added that the Houthis continue to violate international laws and commit crimes against wrongfully detained prisoners.
Meanwhile, Information Minister in the legitimate government Moammar Al-Eryani strongly condemned the Houthi campaign of arrests, which he said targeted Sanaa and other regions under their control.
He said the militias are closely watching the remaining members of the General People's Congress who are still living in regions under their control.
Dozens of their members have been recently detained by the militias.
The Houthis are also keeping lawmakers, politcal and tribal figures, and former state officials under close watch. Many have been barred from travel.
Such practices demonstrate that the Houthis are terrorists, who reject partnership and coexistence with others. They adopt force, violence and terror to consolidate their power in complete disregard of human rights, he went on to say.
Eryani called on the international community and United Nations to end their “terrible shameful silence” over the Houthi violations and work seriously toward putting an end to their “systematic crimes.”
He also urged them to designate the militias as terrorist, stop their sources of funding and support the legitimate government in imposing its control over all Yemeni territories.
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms condemned the Houthis for their attempt to execute some 11 citizens in the Tihamah region on charges of collaborating with the US and Israel.
In a statement to the media, it said the Houthis “continue to use the judiciary to oppress their opponents and people who reject their criminal practices against civilians in areas under their control.”
“They are trying through all criminal and terrorist means to silence free civil voices,” it added.
It stressed that the Houthis have used the judiciary in recent years as a means to settle scores with political rivals, issuing death penalties against hundreds of journalists, activists and women.
The Houthis have issued over 400 death sentences against opponents.
It said their “ugliest crime was the execution in cold blood of nine Tihamah residents in Sanaa’s central square in September 2021.”
