STC appoints murder suspect as head of Abyan branch, sparking widespread outrage

ABYAN, March 09 (YPA) – The head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, issued a decision to appoint a murder suspect as the head of the STC branch in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen.

Human rights sources condemned the appointment of “Samir Mohammed Saeed Al-Hayed”, who is accused of murder and is wanted by the judiciary, as the head of the STC branch in Abyan, replacing the resigned “Hassan Mansour Ghaythan Al-Kazmi”.

This move was seen as provocative to all the people of the governorate.

The sources clarified that Al-Hayed is accused of committing a heinous murder against his cousin, “Fathi Omar Al-Hayed”, in a dispute over a piece of land in early 2022.

The sources added that the security authorities had issued a coercive arrest warrant for the accused following the crime. However, the STC appointed him as the director of Mudiyah District in August 2023, and he has now been appointed as the head of the STC in Abyan

The appointment has triggered widespread outrage and frustration among the people of Abyan, who view it as an affront to the victims’ justice and a reinforcement of a culture of impunity.

This comes without addressing the demands of Al-Kazmi, who resigned due to his stance on the kidnapping of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ashal Al-Ja’dani in Aden in mid-June 2024.

@E.Y.M