Over the last week, Houthi security forces waged an arrest campaign that saw the kidnapping of around 80 civilians across six Yemeni governorates controlled by the militia group, human rights sources reported.
Those detained are facing false charges such as treason and espionage for the official state.
Within seven days, the militias’ arbitrary and unjustified campaigns affected dozens of civilians, including women, youth, children, and the elderly, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The campaign affected civilians in the capital, Sanaa, and its countryside, and the cities of Ibb, Dhamar, Hajjah, and Hodeidah.
Other areas under Houthi control in Taiz, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda were also impacted.
Sources pointed out that kidnapped civilians, who are currently in Houthi prisons, were taken from homes, residential neighborhoods, government and private businesses, restaurants, cafes, markets, parks, universities, institutes, schools, and student dormitories.
As usual, the militias did not provide any information or details regarding the identities of those kidnapped, the places of their abduction and their fate.
Although Houthi media reported that 79 were detained, activists predicted that more could have been incarcerated by the Iran-backed group.
Activists pointed out that hundreds of Houthi prisons are currently holding large numbers of those arbitrarily arrested.
They revealed that last August was the most severe in terms of Houthi arrest campaigns against Yemeni citizens.
Residents of Sanaa and other cities had previously complained to Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi insurgents continued to use accusations like “national treason and espionage” to assault and abuse those they believed were opposed to their Iran-inspired project in Yemen.
More so, Yemenis accuse Houthi militias of continuing to imprison thousands of Yemeni civilians in secret prisons.
Over the past periods, a series of Houthi confessions acknowledged the continued persecution and kidnapping of civilians.
