Rights group: UAE-backed forces in southern Yemen arrest tens in Hudaydah

SAM Organisation for Rights and Liberties announced on Wednesday that forces backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the western coast of Yemen had arrested tens of civilians from the province of Hudaydah, detaining them in illegal prisons over posts they shared on social media.

SAM added that it was deeply concerned about reports indicating that the National Resistance Forces (NRF) led by Tareq Saleh and the Giants Brigade led by Abu Zarah Al-Muharrami have arrested dozens of residents from the districts of Hays and Al-Khawkhah in Hudaydah over posts they shared on social media a week ago.

The rights watchdog added in a statement that the UAE-backed forces had arrested about 20 people from the districts of Hays and Al-Khawkhah, south of Hudaydah, under the pretext of communicating with the Houthi group. The majority are still in detention, despite popular demands to release them.

SAM stressed that the charges against the detainees are politically motivated and have no legal justification, adding that the charges are broad and unspecified, representing a serious assault on the judiciary’s jurisdiction – the only one to have the powers to arrest and detain based on legal reviews.

SAM quoted the detainees’ families stating that their relatives are being held in a number of prisons, including the National Resistance Intelligence prison run by Mohammed Abdullah Saleh in the city of Al-Mokha and the Seven Giants Brigades detention centre led by the Salafist leader, Ali Kinini.

Sam called on the UAE-backed forces to immediately release the detainees, apply health protocols to preserve their health and safety and stop arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of civilians.

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