HRW: Houthis and STC Implicated in Arbitrary Detentions and Enforced Disappearances
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has highlighted a grim landscape for human rights in Yemen during 2025, accusing internal and external parties of committing grave violations against civilians amid the ongoing conflict and the proliferation of armed centers of power.
The organization held the U.S. and the Israeli occupation responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Yemeni civilians resulting from military attacks carried out this year. These attacks led to civilian casualties and the destruction of vital facilities and infrastructure, in clear violation of the rules of international humanitarian law.
In parallel with external violations, the report documented a broad pattern of internal abuses, noting that the Houthi group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the Yemeni government were involved in practices including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in their respective areas of control. These violations targeted journalists, human rights defenders, and public workers.
The report explained that raids launched by the Israeli occupation on Yemen—under the pretext of targeting the Houthis during the aggression on Gaza—struck civilian sites and basic infrastructure, including power plants. This resulted in the death and injury of civilians and caused direct damage to vital services relied upon by the population.
It also noted that the U.S. and the United Kingdom carried out military attacks on Yemen beginning January 12, 2024, in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red and Arabian Seas. The report confirmed that these strikes, in turn, contributed to deepening the suffering of civilians.
In another section of the report, the organization revealed that by the end of 2025, the Houthi group was arbitrarily detaining 69 United Nations employees, along with dozens of workers from civil society organizations. The organization considered this a flagrant violation of international immunities and a direct obstacle to humanitarian work.
Human Rights Watch called on all warring parties to cease the practices of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, and to immediately release all those unjustly detained, while also stopping unlawful attacks targeting civilians and civilian facilities. It further stressed the need for controlling parties to adhere to their legal and humanitarian duties toward the population, including ensuring access to food, water, and basic services.
The organization quoted researcher Nico Jafarnia, who stated that the arrest of humanitarian workers and the continued threats against journalists and civil society organizations will not contribute to improving the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen; rather, it exacerbates the crisis and undermines the chances for a humanitarian response. Jafarnia emphasized the necessity for all parties to stop targeting activists, journalists, UN staff, and humanitarian workers, demanding that international obligations be met to address the basic social and economic needs of the population.
