Yemen’s Aden-based government stressed on Monday the importance of sighting facts concerning various crimes and violations committed by Houthi militias against civilians.
The internationally-recognized government pledged to facilitate tasks carried out by the United Nations’ team of experts’ which recently launched its mission from the interim capital Aden.
Earlier in September, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to establish a group of eminent international and regional experts to investigate human rights violations in Yemen, as well as the work of the national commission set up by the legitimate government.
The UN named all members of the panel in charge of the investigations, headed by Tunisian human rights activist Kamel Jendoubi -- the team is expected to complete and submit its report by the end of 2018.
Aside from the chairperson Jendoubi, the panel will include former criminal prosecutor Professor Charles Garraway from the United Kingdom and former Australian Labour Party member Melissa Parke.
On the other hand, Yemen’s Human Rights Minister Mohammed Askar in the interim capital received on Sunday the team of investigators, stressing the need to “investigate hard facts and various crimes committed by Houthi militias against Yemenis.”
He pointed out that the Houthi violations monitored by the national human rights commission have “affected women, children, detainees, residents, government facilities and public property in an inhumane and immoral manner, breaking international laws.”
“The government is working to support the works of the international human rights team in providing all necessary facilities to carry out their duties and to closely monitor violations committed by militias," said Askar.
In a joint press conference with Panel Head Jendoubi, Askar reiterated the government’s desire to find a peaceful solution among all warring Yemeni parties and to unify all efforts that would stop the conflict, which he said has already wasted much of Yemen’s potential.
Jendoubi explained that his team is an independent international body that will visit different areas experiencing conflict in Yemen and sit down with all parties without exception.
He also said that the panel mainly aims to provide a clear vision encompassing ground facts and accounts of violations against civilians in a final report submitted to the Human Rights Council at the end of 2018.
