Detained French citizen for more than year and half in criminal investigation prison in Shabwa
SMA NEWS – SHABWA
Confidential sources revealed to Frontline Human Rights Organisation- Britain (FHRO), the presence of a French citizen Babakar Paul DIOP – according to the passport attached to the report – who has been in detention for more than a year and a half in the criminal investigation prison in Shabwah Governorate.
The information obtained confirmed that the French citizen suffers from bad health and psychological condition, not to mention the ill-treatment he is subjected to as he is allowed one meal per day, in addition, he is also deprived of his rights to communicate with his family and the French Embassy to inform them of his whereabouts since he was arrested.
Until today, the circumstances of this arrest have not been clarified nor has he been convicted of any crime.
The violation that the French citizen is subjected to in the criminal investigation prison in Shabwah Governorate contradicts the Yemeni Law (No. 43) on the entry and residence of aliens as well as the International Law, where the Humans Rights Committee observed that (the rights of non citizens may be qualified only by such limitations as may be lawfully imposed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and by a resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nation, if a detained or imprisoned person is a foreigner, he shall also be promptly informed of his right to communicate by appropriate means to a consular post or the diplomatic mission of the State of which he is a national or which is otherwise entitled to receive such communication in accordance with international law or with representative of the competent international organization, if he is a refugee or otherwise under the protection of an intergovernmental organization. This is stated in principle 16, 2nd paragraph of the set of principles on the protection of all persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment under UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of December 1988).
It is noteworthy, that the authorities of Shabwah governorate does practices arbitrary arrests against civilians, journalists and human rights activists, and all those opposed to it in an arbitrary and blatant manner without regard to local and international laws.
FHRO previously issued a special and detailed report on the total number of violations committed by the authorities in Shabwah. The report was entitled (Suppression of Freedom Expression in Shabwa Governorate 2019 – 2021) where many violations and crimes committed by the authorities of Shabwah, under the auspices of the Yemeni Government, who has the full control of Shabwah Governorate since the withdrawal of the Shabwani Elite Forces in August 2019.
