Yemeni Government: Houthi Death Sentences are a “Theatrical Show” and Proof of Moral and Legal Bankruptcy
Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
Moammar Al-Eryani, the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism in the Yemeni government, stated that the Houthi death sentences against 17 citizens and prison sentences against others constitute a “fully staged theatrical show” based on fabricated charges and confessions extracted under torture.
In a press statement, Al-Eryani said that the expedited trials and the broadcasting of pre-recorded “confessions” are an attempt to divert attention from the security collapse and internal fractures experienced by the militia, and to justify a new wave of repression under the label of “espionage.”
He pointed out that the repetition of these methods brings to mind the Houthis’ execution of nine individuals from Tihama in 2021 after similar trials.
The Minister described this escalation as part of a campaign of pressure against UN and humanitarian organization workers through fabricated espionage accusations, warning that the continuation of these practices could lead to a new wave of mass executions.
Al-Eryani called on the United Nations and human rights organizations to intervene urgently to stop the implementation of the death sentences, release the abductees, and cease the use of the judiciary as a means of persecution and intimidation.
Earlier, the Specialized Criminal Court for State Security cases, run by the Houthis in Sana’a, announced sentences of death for 17 individuals on charges of “espionage” with foreign countries.
The trials proceeded at a record pace, taking less than two weeks. The first trial session was announced on November 9, with five sessions held between the 9th and 22nd of this month.
It is worth noting that in September 2021, the Houthis executed nine civilians by firing squad in a public square in Sana’a on charges of involvement in the assassination of Saleh Al-Samad, the head of the so-called “Supreme Political Council” for the Houthis, in Hudaidah in 2018. Human rights organizations and lawyers confirmed that the judicial procedures lacked the minimum standards for a fair trial and that the abductees included a minor who was detained when he was not over eighteen years old.
Human rights organizations have also documented that the Houthis have issued approximately 200 death sentences against political opponents, including 35 parliamentarians.
