Amnesty International Calls for Investigation into U.S. Strike on Yemen as a ‘War Crime’

Yemen Monitor / Marib / Special:

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into a U.S. airstrike that targeted a migrant detention center in Yemen, labeling it a potential “war crime.”

In a report released on Tuesday, the human rights organization stated that the raid, carried out on April 28, 2025, struck a detention facility in Saada, northwestern Yemen, killing at least 68 detainees and injuring 47 others.

The detention center had operated for years as part of a larger prison complex, and had previously been visited by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, who found no evidence of the complex being used for military purposes.

Nadia Dar, Director of Amnesty International USA, said: “The approach of the Trump administration to its airstrikes in Yemen between March and May 2025 should have set off alarm bells in the United States and around the world.”

She added: “Instead, the U.S. administration systematically worked to weaken protective safeguards… while showing a grave disregard for the lives of civilians endangered by armed conflict.”

Survivors Confirm Continued Lack of Support

Amnesty International explained that survivors interviewed nearly a year after the strike are still suffering from severe physical and psychological harm, noting that many of them cannot afford treatment.

The organization spoke to six Ethiopian men injured in the attack, and reported that five of them have become unable to work due to their injuries, while most now rely on financial support from relatives.

Four of these survivors remain in Yemen, while two have returned to Ethiopia. One survivor, named Gerata (30), said he lost one leg in the strike, while a metal rod was implanted in the other.

Gerata said in testimony published by Amnesty: “I have lost hope, and I no longer have any reason to carry on. The U.S. government caused all of this, and as a result [of the airstrike], I can no longer work and support myself. I want them to provide some kind of compensation that helps us in our lives in any way possible, something that restores hope to me.”

No Public Results of Investigations Released

Following the strike, a U.S. Department of Defense official stated that the military was assessing reports of civilian casualties.

Amnesty International noted that one year later, U.S. Central Command has not publicly released the results of any investigation, nor has it announced whether any accountability measures will be taken.

The organization affirmed that the Yemen attack was among the deadliest incidents targeting civilians linked to a U.S. strike documented by the organization in recent years.

The organization also cited a U.S. airstrike that targeted a school in Minab, Iran, on March 16, which it said killed 156 people, including more than 120 children. For his part, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that a separate investigation into another U.S. strike in Minab is still ongoing.

Amnesty International’s investigation concluded that the United States failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians.

The organization urged Washington to conduct urgent, transparent, and independent investigations into the strikes carried out in Yemen and Iran. It also called on the U.S. Congress to tighten oversight of military operations and ensure compensation is provided to affected civilians.