Apart from spearheading kidnapping campaigns that affected dozens of Yemenis residing in Sanaa’s western rural areas, Houthis have warranted their militiamen to abhorrently abuse the Yemeni capital’s small vendors into paying unlawful taxes.
Sanaa-based sources reported to Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi militants have carried out widespread attacks, extortion and abuse against merchants and street vendors in the markets in areas they run, including Hamadan, Dares, Al-Sunaynah, Madbah, and Shamila.
According to sources, Houthis have targeted the city’s merchants to extort them into paying funds that they would later channel into their war effort at a time when the Iran-backed militia is fighting on multiple battlefronts.
Merchants, vendors and market owners in Sanaa who have recently been subject to Houthi oppression complained to Asharq Al-Awsat about the persistent extortion, looting and assaults their businesses are facing.
They confirmed that Houthis are mounting nonstop campaigns to illicitly collect funds and assets under various pretexts, most prevalent being financing their military operations on battlefronts.
Last Monday and Tuesday, Houthi gunmen raided a number of markets, attacking vendors and forcibly shutting down shops under the excuse that the targeted businessmen were late on due payments.
Houthis then doubled the outstanding royalties on these vendors as punishment for them being late. Some of the vendors were also assaulted and arbitrarily detained.
The recent raids on the markets came a few days after a Houthi leader attacked a citizen in the Hasbah neighborhood, north of Sanaa, after his criticism of the militia’s policy of looting, corruption and oppression.
Eyewitnesses in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that a Houthi leader named Abdullah Al-Wazir had brutally beaten a Hasbah neighborhood resident after having engaged in a side talk about Houthi policies.
Wazir accused his victim of being a supporter of the US and Israel and against the Houthi’s holy agenda.
