Dahlan, top UAE officials behind assassination programme in Yemen

Yemeni fighters inspect burnt out vehicles as they take under control the site, reportedly belonging to pro-government troops following air strikes by Emirati forces on Yemen’s interim capital Aden, Yemen on 30 August 2019 [Wail Qubati/Anadolu Agency]

The London-based Stoke and White law firm revealed earlier this week that Mohamed Dahlan, along with top United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials, stand behind extrajudicial killings in Yemen since 2015, Anadolu Agency reported.

Stoke and White’s legal team has submitted new evidence to authorities in the UK, the US and Turkey on the attacks that targeted civilians and the members of Yemen’s Al-Islah party.

“This evidence provides compelling legal grounds for authorities to investigate and prosecute under Universal Jurisdiction laws in the United Kingdom and the United States and Turkey,” Stoke and White revealed.

Dahlan, former Palestinian head of security and key adviser to UAE crown prince, Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is believed to have appointed US mercenaries to carry out high-profile assassinations of Al-Islah party leaders and MPs,” the legal team disclosed.

“The American mercenaries were given ranks and uniforms and were part of the command structure of the UAE Ministry of Defence,” the legal team added.

Abdullah Suliman Abdullah Daubalah, one of the victims represented by the law firm, informed that he escaped a bomb attack as a journalist, which targeted Al-Islah’s building in Aden in 2015, with the order for the attack being issued by Dahlan.

International law specialist: Compelling grounds to prosecute UAE, Saudi’s actions in Yemen

Adel Salem Nasser Mofgah, another victim testifying in the case, described his tortured in a UAE-controlled centre and claimed other people were also tortured there.

“Evidence of war crimes and torture in Yemen have been submitted to the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service, US Department of Justice and Turkey’s Ministry of Justice,” a statement by Stoke and White uncovered.

Gulden Sonmez, a lawyer from Turkey, revealed during a news conference on the case that she represented two Yemeni victims, who are refugees in Turkey at the moment.

Sonmez claims the UAE crown prince and other UAE officials and soldiers were among the perpetrators.

Sonmez underlined that they have sufficient evidence showing Dahlan’s involvement in killings in Yemen by mercenaries.

They expect the Turkish Ministry of Justice will allow a universal jurisdiction for the arrests of the accused, as the crimes were enlightened by the United Nations’ reports.

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