Socotra National Conference Denounces Abduction of Activists and Obstruction of Human Rights Committee
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Socotra National Conference has expressed its strong condemnation of the abduction of media activist Abdullah Badahen, political activist Hassan al-Jizlawi, and Sheikh Faisal Ali al-Shawaqi by armed elements belonging to the dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC). The individuals were taken from a street in the city of Hadibu, Socotra Governorate, and transported to an unknown location.
In a formal statement, the Conference described the act as a crime and a blatant violation of public freedoms, an assault on national figures, and a breach of social norms and the rule of law.
The Conference also strongly denounced the obstruction of the National Commission to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations while it was attempting to enter the Special Forces camp in Hadibu to perform its duties. It stated that such behavior constitutes a violation of the law and a serious challenge to the independence of official human rights bodies.
The statement pointed out that this conduct by the STC forces confirms the severity of the human rights violations they have committed. It further noted that this is an attempt to block the National Commission from accessing records of abuses and those detained without any legal justification or judicial warrant.
The Conference expressed its deep concern over systematic attempts to restrict oversight and human rights bodies and to silence voices seeking to expose violations, amidst escalating illegal security practices and the growing militarization of civil institutions in the archipelago.
The Conference held the STC militias fully legally and morally responsible for these violations and the potential serious repercussions affecting the province’s reputation and its environmental and humanitarian status at regional and international levels.
Socotra National Conference called upon the Head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, Prime Minister Dr. Shaya’a al-Zindani, and the local authorities to intervene for the immediate release of the abductees, to protect the National Commission, enable it to perform its duties, and ensure that such abductions and unlawful practices are not repeated.
