Extrajudicial Execution in Shabwa Raises Concern Among Rights Organizations

Yemen Monitor | Newsroom:

The extrajudicial execution of a citizen in Shabwa governorate has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, with the American Center for Justice (ACJ) warning that the incident poses a serious threat to the rule of law in Yemen.

The center said the incident took place in Habban district, where a young man, Amin Nasser Bahaj, killed another member of his tribe, Basel al-Marwah al-Babakri.

According to the ACJ, the perpetrator’s family handed him over to the victim’s family, which then carried out his execution without any judicial procedures or official investigation by state authorities.

The center stressed that the incident is not isolated, but rather comes amid a troubling spread of revenge killings and the enforcement of punishments through tribal means, in the context of chaos and weak law enforcement in Shabwa and other Yemeni regions.

It noted that the implementation of criminal penalties outside state institutions constitutes a direct violation of the principle of the rule of law and the state’s exclusive authority to administer punishment.

The ACJ added that Yemeni law and the constitution clearly stipulate that adjudicating crimes and imposing penalties are the exclusive prerogatives of the judiciary, and that no individual or group has the right to assume this role in place of the state.

For its part, the organization Women Journalists Without Chains condemned the incident, describing it as a disturbing example of violations linked to tribal violence outside the framework of formal justice.

The organization said the incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in Wadi Habban, following a dispute over land ownership between Amin Nasser Bahaj and Basel al-Marwah al-Babakri, which resulted in the latter’s death.

It emphasized that the decision by the perpetrator’s family to hand him over to the victim’s relatives—who immediately executed him—constitutes a grave violation of the right to life and a direct assault on the victim’s right to justice. The organization also described the incident as a dangerous infringement on the state’s exclusive constitutional and legal authority to protect the right to life and enforce justice through the official judiciary.

The American Center for Justice called on the Yemeni Public Prosecution to open an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident, covering both the initial killing and the subsequent extrajudicial execution.

The center warned that silence or leniency by the authorities in such cases would encourage their recurrence, entrench impunity, fuel disorder, and further weaken state institutions.

It stressed that restoring the authority of the law begins with a firm commitment to ensuring that justice is administered solely through state institutions, and that any attempt to impose punishment outside this framework represents a direct threat to public order and human rights.

The center concluded by underscoring the need for a decisive stance by judicial and executive authorities to protect society and safeguard the public’s right to security and justice.