Houthis Abduct Educational, Academic, and Medical Figures in Ibb, Central Yemen

Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:

Ibb Governorate, located in central Yemen, is experiencing a surging wave of abductions and arbitrary arrests carried out by the Houthi group. Dozens of academics, educators, and doctors across various districts of the governorate have been targeted, a move that has sparked widespread resentment within community and human rights circles.

Local sources reported that the “Houthi militia abducted Dr. Mohammed Qaed Aqlan, director of the Holy Quran House in Al-Yahari area, just one day after the killing of Sheikh Saleh Hantous, director of the Holy Quran House in Al-Salafia district, Reimah Governorate, in a crime that ignited a wide wave of anger.”

Sources indicated that Dr. Aqlan’s arrest was part of a broader campaign launched by the Houthi militia over the past two weeks, targeting personnel from the education and health sectors. Prominent among those targeted are: Dr. Ahmed Yassin (cardiologist), Dr. Sadeq Al-Yousefi, Dr. Thaeer Al-Dueis, and Dr. Nabil Al-Yafraisi, as well as Faisal Abdullah Al-Shuwaie, Mohammed Taher, and Talal Salam, all residents of Al-Udayn district, west of Ibb Governorate.

Human rights and news sources state that Houthi abduction campaigns in Ibb Governorate have noticeably escalated since late May, reaching their peak in the last two weeks. This is occurring amidst complete disregard by the group’s authorities for any popular or human rights demands to halt these violations.

Families of the abducted individuals are appealing to relevant local and international human rights bodies and organizations to urgently intervene for the release of their relatives and to stop the campaigns of oppression and intimidation adopted by the Houthi group against civilians in Ibb Governorate.