Fake gold, sometimes preferable to the real stuff
Human rights organizations condemn violations by Houthis
Four young men allegedly tortured by the Houthis were taken to the Science and Technology Hospital on Sunday in a critical condition.
Ameen Farhan, one of the tortured young men, said that he was summoned by the Houthis to meet their leader in Joma’a Bani Bahr area when he was in Al-Arish Mosque.
He added that people of Sa’ada are accustomed to summons from the Houthis, saying that “the Houthis consider Sa’ada theirs, particularly due to absence of the state departments there.”
Farhan thought he would meet the leader and leave. However, the Houthis robbed and blindfolded him and began to torture him with electric shocks. They hit him with rifle butts in different parts of his body.
Farhan says that he was tortured by seven Houthis. So far, he is unaware of the reason of torture. “I heard nothing from them except death threats,” he added.
Farhan said that the number of young men kidnapped and tortured by the Houthis in Sa’ada increased during Ramadan. He stated that “many young men were kidnapped and tortured but their families can’t do anything because they are weak.”
Abid Mish’al said he was abducted in front of a mosque on Thursday night by armed men affiliated with the Houthis who are identifiable by their names and weapons.
Mish’al added that he was taken to a Houthi prison-an old building with small dirty cells inside.
Three people used electric shocks to torture Mish’al. They proceeded to kick him for half an hour before he was released.
“They accused me of maintaining an alliance with America and Israel. I’m just an ordinary citizen,” he said. Mish’al reported that state departments, human rights organizations and media are completely absent in Sa’ada which enabled the Houthis to dominate over citizens.
Abdulrahman Barman, a lawyer for Hood, the National Organization for Protecting Rights and Freedoms, said that there are many torture cases of the Houthis against residents in Sa’ada.
“Statistics indicate that more than 60 residents in Sa’ada have been tortured by the Houthis, but they have refused to talk to media because they’ve received death threats,” he said.
“The Houthis are attempting to establish a state composed of Sa’ada, Hajja and areas of Hodeida to facilitate transporting weapons, ammunition and other materiel,” Barman said.
A team filed cases for the tortured residents in Sa’ada and referred them to Ali Al-Awsh, the General Prosecutor.
For his part, Ali Nasser Al-Bokhaiti, spokesman of the Revolutionary Powers Forum, said that the revolutionary powers are against human rights violations, but doubted the impartiality of all organizations because they participate in spreading rumors against the Houthis.
Al-Bokhaiti wondered how some human rights organizations issue statements about violations by the Houthis against residents without considering the response of the Houthis, whether confirmation or denial. These organizations must take into consideration the Houthis’ opinion too, he said.
“The reports issued by the organizations aren’t impartial. A committee must visit the governorate to investigate the alleged violations,” he concluded.
