Judges in Ibb Threaten Houthis with Red Badges

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Judges in Ibb Threaten Houthis with Red Badges

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Yemeni judges and employees in the West Ibb Court of First Instance continue their partial strike, which began on Saturday, by putting the green badges, a sign of condemnation of the Houthis’ obstruction to the implementation of judicial rulings.

In a statement, the judges and employees of the court had announced the start of a partial strike to exert pressure on the militias and demand an investigation into those obstructing the judicial procedures. They also vowed to escalate their protests against the group and raise their red badges if their demands were not met.

The strike comes following reports of Houthi leaders in Ibb continuing to obstruct dozens of first instance rulings issued by the West Ibb Court and other courts, most of which against Houthi members and leaders convicted of crimes against citizens.

Judicial staff in Ibb, which is located 170 kilometers south of Sanaa, have previously carried out demonstrations, vigils and strikes to denounce and reject the Houthi attacks and the militias’ interference in the judiciary.

Dozens of Houthi gunmen on board seven vehicles had earlier attacked the Criminal Court located in Al-Dawaa Street in Ibb city and liberated accused prisoners, including the leader Abdel Wahab al-Washli, who was accused of killing a citizen at a checkpoint in the same governorate.

Local reports revealed that within the past few months, the militias have pushed hundreds of their members to study at the Higher Judicial Institute in Sanaa, after dismissing a great number of officers in the interior and intelligence sectors.

Reports stated that dozens of the new members of the Judicial Institute, which is not recognized by the legitimate government, had failed the entrance exams, while several accusations were leveled at the group of deliberately enrolling students without university qualifications.



Israeli Airstrike on South Lebanon’s Nabatieh Injures 14, Health Ministry Says

People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Airstrike on South Lebanon’s Nabatieh Injures 14, Health Ministry Says

People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)

An Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh, a major town in southern Lebanon, injured 14 people on Tuesday, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Security sources reported a second strike in a nearby area. They said the first targeted a vehicle loaded with weapons, while the target of the second was still unclear.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli forces killed at least 24 people and wounded at least 141 in southern Lebanon on Sunday and Monday, the Lebanese health ministry said, as thousands of people tried to return to their homes in the area in defiance of Israeli military orders.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and Israel agreed on a ceasefire in late November, ending to a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war in 2023.

The US said on Sunday the agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which included an initial 60-day period for the withdrawal of Israeli troops, would remain in effect until Feb. 18, an extension to the Jan. 26 deadline previously agreed.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Monday that the group would not accept any justifications to extend the period for Israeli troops' withdrawal from southern Lebanon.