Yemen: Islah party members arrested in UAE-backed raid

Six Islah party members in Yemen have been arrested by security forces in Yemen in a raid backed by the UAE, Mugtama has reported.

The Al-Islah party was founded in 1990 and has been accused of having strong ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. The United Arab Emirates is sternly opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood and dissenting parties, particularly in Yemen.

Security forces stormed the party’s headquarters in the Qalou area of southern Yemen, Aden. Several leaders of the Islah party and activists were arrested by the security agents and taken away to an unknown destination.

At dawn security agents raided the home of the Assistant Secretary of the Islah party, Mohammed Abdulmalik, and arrested him.

Read: Yemeni dies of torture in UAE run prison in Yemen

The Islah party immediately released a statement seeking the release of its members, citing the need for Saudi Arabia to intervene and ensure the “cessation of arbitrary practices” in Yemen.

The statement called upon civil society organisations and political actors to condemn the arrests as “illegal”.

The United Arab Emirates is part of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, specifically operating in southern Yemen. Human Rights Watch recently revealed that the UAE supported Yemeni forces in carrying out arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, including of women and children.

The Associated Press conducted an investigation, concluding that hundreds of Yemeni men were arrested in an operation to hunt for Al-Qaida fighters who have disappeared into a network of prisons across southern Yemen.