Organization: Ending UAE Military Presence in Yemen Does Not Exempt It from Responsibility for Violations
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties emphasized that the United Arab Emirates’ announcement of ending its military presence in Yemen does not relieve it of legal responsibility for gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed during its period of involvement.
The organization clarified that military withdrawal does not grant immunity from accountability, nor does it waive the duty to investigate and prosecute serious crimes, including torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and damages inflicted upon civilians and their property.
Based on international reports and victim testimonies, SAM documented the continued existence of informal detention facilities in Mukalla, Balhaf, and Aden, where more than 40 people remain victims of enforced disappearance, in flagrant violation of the right to information and a fair trial. The statement also pointed to cases of extrajudicial assassinations targeting civil activists, mosque preachers, and social figures.
Demands and Recommendations:
- To the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC): Form an independent and transparent investigation committee, ensure the protection of victims and witnesses, reveal the fate of all forcibly disappeared persons, and release arbitrary detainees or refer them to the judiciary according to fair trial standards.
- To the International Community: Urged the UN and international bodies not to view the end of the UAE military presence as the closure of the violations file, and to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
SAM concluded that justice and accountability remain a fundamental right for victims, and ending a military presence must not be used as a means to overlook these legal and moral responsibilities.
