Human Rights Report: Houthis Abducted Over 480 Civilians in Ibb Over Two and a Half Years
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A recent report by the human rights organization Rights Radar revealed that more than 480 civilians were subjected to arrest and abduction in Ibb Governorate, central Yemen, over the past two and a half years by the Houthi group. The victims include women, children, academics, and activists.
According to the report, the group carried out seven security campaigns since the beginning of 2023, which included violent raids, financial extortion, torture in secret prisons, and cases of forced disappearances.
The peak of the arrests occurred in September 2023 and 2024, during which a total of 345 people were detained in just those two months for participating in public events.
In recent months, the group launched campaigns targeting academics and professionals, coinciding with national occasions—particularly Unity Day in May and July 2025.
The violations included raids on homes and institutions, such as the University of Science and Technology and the Saba Bank branch, as well as the arrest of prominent academic figures like Dr. Abdulhamid Al-Mesbahi.
The organization called on the Houthis to immediately release all detainees and urged the UN envoy to Yemen to intervene urgently to stop the violations against civilians in Ibb and other Houthi-controlled areas.
