Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Sana’a, the Yemeni capital, witnessed a new escalation today by the Houthi group against the General People’s Congress (GPC) party. Party sources and activists confirmed that the Houthis arrested the party’s Secretary-General, Ghazi Ahmed Al-Ahwal, and surrounded the home of the party’s leader, Sadiq Abu Rass. Other reports indicate that 12 other leaders were also detained.
This development comes one day after the party announced yesterday, Tuesday, the cancellation of all celebratory events for its 43rd founding anniversary, which were scheduled to be held on August 24. According to the party’s statement, the cancellation was “in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
Sources within the GPC’s Standing Committee explained that the decision to cancel came after escalating pressure from the Houthis, who had placed GPC leaders under house arrest and banned gatherings of pro-GPC tribal sheikhs. These measures were accompanied by threats and arrests targeting prominent members.
The GPC viewed these actions as a continuation of the harassment against its leaders and members, confirming that the celebratory efforts would be redirected to support the Palestinian cause, given the complex security conditions in the capital.
Since the killing of its founder and leader, former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the GPC has suffered from a division, with its leadership dispersed among the centers of power created by the war and foreign influence, which have geographically divided Yemen.
