The Women Solidarity Network has been following with profound concern the ongoing campaign of arrests targeting dozens of employees from the United Nations, international organizations, and local humanitarian organizations since June 6, 2024, in areas under the controlof the Houthi group (de facto authorities). Among those detained are women employed by international organizations.

The Women Solidarity Network strongly condemns these atrocious violations of both national and international laws and norms.These actions undermine human rights, humanitarian work, and civil society in Yemen, affecting members of our own network. In recent days, the Houthi grouphas conducted raids on the homes and offices of both female and male employeesof these organizations, confiscating their electronic devices arbitrarily andwithout legal justification. Many of those detained have been taken to undisclosed locations, with their where abouts currently unknown, constituting acts ofenforced disappearance.

The Women Solidarity Network emphasizes thatthe detained individuals have no involvement in the conflict or its parties,and their professional duties are unrelated to the conflict. The arrests andforced confessions obtained through threats and torture are grave violations that contravene human rights, international conventions, and national laws.These employees are fulfilling their duties to Yemen, providing critical assistance under extremely challenging conditions. They play an indispensable role in delivering essential services, such as education, health, relief,social services, and protection.

These arrests form part of a broader patternof severe violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, whichalso includes the issuance of death sentences to 45 citizens, among them AdnanAl-Harazi, owner of Prodigy Systems, in trials that failed to meet even the minimal standards of fairness.

The Women Solidarity Network demands thefollowing actions from the Houthi group:

•           Ceasethe campaign of arrests targeting civilians engaged in local and internationalcivil society.

•           Expedite the unconditional release of all detained male and female workers fromnational, international, and local organizations.

•           Restorethe dignity of those detained, return their confiscated personal property, and compensate them for all forms of harm suffered due to these severe violations impacting them and their families.

Furthermore, the Women Solidarity Networkcalls on international organizations and the international community todenounce these violations, demand an end to the arrests, and show solidarity with the victims and their families.

Issued by the Women Solidarity Network

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