Rights Radar: Houthis Commit 735 Violations Against Imams and Preachers, Including 51 Killings
Yemen Monitor – Newsroom:
Rights Radar for Human Rights has condemned the killing of Sheikh Saleh Hantous, a prominent Quran scholar, at the hands of armed Houthi fighters in Raymah Governorate, Yemen. The attack, which took place in the village of Bani Nufay’, resulted in the death of Hantous and the serious injury of two of his nephews and his wife.
The organization stated that the assault was carried out with the coordination of top Houthi officials, including Fares Al-Habbari, the Houthi-appointed governor of Raymah, Hashid Al-Habbari, the region’s security chief, and Fares Ruba’a, the head of the local administration in Al-Salafiyah district. The operation involved around 30 military vehicles and was reportedly executed under direct orders from Ali Hussein Al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi Police Security and Intelligence Agency.
Rights Radar also revealed that Houthi forces arrested 12 relatives of Sheikh Hantous, whose fate remains unknown. The organization said the incident reflects the grave violations committed by the Houthi group against civilians and urged the international community and UN bodies to pressure the group to halt its abuses.
According to the organization’s documentation, the Houthis have committed over 735 violations targeting imams, preachers, Islamic scholars, and Quran teachers. These include 51 killings, 118 injuries, and over 560 abductions. These acts are part of a long-standing pattern of repression against these groups in various parts of Yemen.
Rights Radar demanded accountability for these violations, emphasizing that the Houthis’ actions contradict their public claims of supporting the Palestinian cause. The organization also called on UN Envoy Hans Grundberg to take immediate action to protect those abducted and secure their release.
Rights Radar stressed the need for increased international pressure to put an end to these abuses and ensure the Houthis comply with international humanitarian law.
