HRW accuses Hadi’s government of committing terrorist acts, rape and assassinations
SANAA, Oct. 31 (YPA) – Human Rights Watch has accused Hadi’s government of supporting terrorism, kidnapping and torturing of human rights activists and politicians, rape, training assassination squads, targeting opponents and smuggling drugs.
The organisation confirmed that her accusations were based on “evidence and files.”
“Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ahmed al-Maisari are involved in the kidnapping of activists and politicians, torture of detainees, rape, support of terrorists, drug trafficking and the training of assassination squads,” Human Rights Watch said in a new report on human rights in Yemen.
“Government officials have attracted and used terrorist leaders and terrorist elements in the security sector to carry out terrorist operations and acts of sabotage in Yemeni areas to get rid of opponents,” Joe Stork, Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch said.
“Local organizations have evidence and files to prove this,” Stork said.
He noted that the organization had documented statements by lawyers defending the victims and Yemeni human rights defenders.
“Impunity for systematic torture has left citizens with no hope of justice,” he added.
Human Rights Watch’s 52-page report on human rights in Yemen confirmed “the interior minister’s use of his authority, particularly the ministry’s national security officers and personal to torture and carry out terrorist operations, including targeting al-Anad base and al-Jala camp al-Buraiqeh District.
According to the report, “Human Rights Watch interviewed former detainees and the families of other detainees who said they had been tortured in security prisons.” HRW says it “also interviewed arrested terrorist elements,” and confirmed the interior minister’s “support and training for them.”
HRW’s report includes testimonies from lawyers defending torture victims, Yemeni torturers and human rights activists, and said it “has reviewed dozens of reports and evidence issued by Yemeni human rights organizations and media.”
The report reviewed “the involvement of elements accused of terrorist cases and crimes, their promotion to police officers and the national security sector in the Ministry of Interior”, and their practice of “routinely torturing political detainees, including beatings, electrocution and sometimes rape”.
E.M