Al-Islah Party warns Houthis about harming kidnapped leaders

Yemen’s Congregation for Reform Party (Al-Islah) has warned the Houthi militias and ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh not to harm the movement’s leaders, who were kidnapped on Saturday, Palestine’s Al-Risalah newspaper reported yesterday. According to the newspaper’s sources, Houthi militias and their allies from those Yemenis loyal to Saleh kidnapped up to 140 members and leaders of Al-Islah in Sanaa.

A spokesman for the party, Said Shamsan, said that the kidnapping of Al-Islah’s leaders would not change its pro-Decisive Storm stance. According to Al-Jazeera, the Houthis began a widespread kidnapping campaign targeting members and leaders of Al-Islah in the Yemeni capital just one day after the party announced its support for the Saudi-led coalition’s military intervention. At least 37 offices belonging to Al-Islah were stormed by militiamen.

Speaking with Al-Jazeera by phone from Sanaa, journalist Adnan Naser said, “Those kidnapped include senior officials of Al-Islah, junior members and parliamentarians.” He added that he was afraid that the people kidnapped by the Houthis would be detained in places targeted by the coalition attacks.

Among those kidnapped are Mohamed Al-Shar’abi, Ahmed Sharafuddin, Ali Al-Ansi and Hammoud Al-Tharhi. In addition to the party’s offices, the houses of Al-Islah chief Mohamed Al-Yadoumi and high board committee member Sheikh Abdul-Majid Al-Zindani were also attacked by the Houthi rebels.