Rights Network Condemns the Death of a Prisoner in Houthi Prisons and Demands an Urgent Investigation
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms on Tuesday condemned the death of prisoner Moaz Hameed Tofyan, a member of the National Army, inside a Houthi group prison in Sana’a, after more than four and a half years of detention.
The network said in a statement that Tofyan’s death during his detention “represents a tragic incident that reflects the scale of risks and violations to which prisoners and detainees are subjected inside the group’s prisons.”
The network held the Houthi group fully legally and morally responsible for the incident, as it is the controlling authority over the place of detention and is responsible for the safety and lives of the prisoners, as well as providing them with healthcare and humanitarian care.
It emphasized that the prisoner’s death necessitates the opening of an independent, transparent, and urgent investigation to uncover the circumstances of the incident, determine its true causes, and hold those responsible accountable for any violations, practices, or negligence that led to his death inside the prison.
The network also held the Houthi group fully responsible for the safety of all prisoners, detainees, and forcibly disappeared persons held in its prisons, warning against their continued detention in conditions it described as “inhumane,” threatening their lives as well as their physical and psychological safety.
It called on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and international organizations concerned with human rights to intervene urgently and press for the release of all prisoners and detainees, or to accelerate prisoner exchange operations without delay, to preserve their lives and safety.
It added that the continued detention of prisoners in mysterious conditions and away from independent oversight poses a direct threat to their lives, and doubles concerns regarding the fate of hundreds of detainees who still languish in prisons.
The network concluded its statement by praying for mercy for the prisoner Moaz Hameed Tofyan, demanding freedom for all prisoners and detainees.
