Saudi Arabia moves to strip STC leaders of Emirati immunity

RIYADH, Jan. 16 (YPA) – Saudi Arabia signaled on Thursday the launch of a new process aimed at stripping leaders of the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) of the immunity derived from the UAE.

This move is seen as an attempt to block Abu Dhabi from providing them protection against international prosecution.

In a high-level meeting in Riyadh with the “National Commission to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations,” the President of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, issued a strongly worded threat. He declared the start of a battle to “end the era of impunity,” a move interpreted as a Saudi green light to prosecute STC leaders involved in assassinations, torture in secret prisons, and violations conducted under direct Emirati supervision.

Al-Alimi emphasized providing full facilities and legal protection for the commission to “dig into” files of illegal prisons and arbitrary detentions. This step clearly aims to uproot the remaining security influence of the STC in Aden.

Observers believe that this sudden focus on “human rights” serves as a legal cover to dismantle the security apparatus established by the UAE. It prepares local and international judicial files to issue arrest warrants for pro-UAE leaders after their removal from power.

By specifically moving the violations file in Mahra and Hadramout, Al-Alimi—with Saudi backing—seeks to convict these leaders and place them under international pursuit, ensuring they cannot return to the political scene after being militarily ousted from southern Yemen.

These developments indicate a strategic shift toward using legal and judicial tools to finalize the dismantling of local tools loyal to Abu Dhabi in the region.

YPA