277 Killings Committed by the Houthis Against Preachers, Imams, and Religious Figures
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has documented “4,896 assaults and crimes committed by the Houthi group against religious figures and places of worship across various provinces, including 277 killings, during the period from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2025.”
The rights network monitored the Houthis’ involvement in 277 killings of preachers, mosque imams, religious figures, and worshippers. These include 72 killings resulting from direct gunfire, 19 from random shelling, 28 from the use of excessive force and beating, and 19 from stabbings and the use of bladed weapons, in addition to 178 physical injuries.
The network stated in its report that “the Houthi violations against places of worship and mosques in Yemen are increasing day by day, with no regard for religion or laws, in order to spread their sectarian and ideological beliefs. The latest incident occurred at Al-Sunnah Mosque in Sa’wan in the capital, Sana’a, and the conversion of the Salafi center in Zarajah, Al-Hadda, into a detention center.”
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms clarified that its field team documented 791 cases of violations against mosques and places of worship in Yemen, including 103 cases of bombing and booby-trapping of mosques and places of worship. Furthermore, 423 mosques were converted into military barracks where they consume Qat, smoke shisha, use shammah (snuff), and dance.
The report listed violations including closures, the imposition of preachers and imams, shelling, arson, and forced entry. It emphasized that the Houthi group’s bombing of mosques reveals the ideological, intellectual, and cultural dimension of their wars.
