Letter to UN Human Rights Council on violations of Yemeni government forces against southern political leaders and activists

SMA NEWS – Aden the Capital

A number of civil society organizations, institutions, centers and foundations raised a letter to the High Commission for Human Rights regarding the violations committed by forces that are affiliated with the Yemeni government against a number of peaceful political leaders and activists from the South. Hereunder is their letter:

Geneva, 18 June 2021

To: United Nations Human Rights Council

serious human rights violations in South Yemen.

We, the Consultative Center for Rights and Freedoms in Geneva, and in solidarity with the southern civil society organizations which are listed below, raise a letter of inquiry, calling for you to intervene urgently to restrain the systematic and ongoing violations committed by the military forces affiliated with the Yemeni government against politicians, activists and citizens in southern Yemen, based on the background of their positions and the political claim to restore the free state of the South, as it was in the past.

Recently, it has been noted that not a day passes without a violation committed in the regions of the South, the victims of which are leading elements of the Southern Transitional Council, human rights activists, or citizens belong to southern social and tribal groups.

We inform you that the last of these violations is what was subjected on Thursday, June 17,  an elite  group of leaders of the Transitional Council who were kidnapped at gunpoint, and they are:

1) Dr. Mohammad Jaafar bin Sheikh Abu Bakr, Head of the local leadership in Hadramout governorate.

2) Dr. Hassan Saleh Al-Amoudi, Deputy Head of the Local Leadership for University Coordination Affairs.

3) Mr. Iskandar Al-Taffy, Member of the National Assembly of the Transitional Council.

4) Mr. Mohammad Salih Batis, Head of the organizational department at the local leadership.

5) Mr. Salem Baras, Member of the local leadership in Hadramout governorate.

Under pressure from the southern national and societal forces, including the announcement of the suspension of consultations to implement the Riyadh Agreement, they were released, otherwise their fate would be remained unknown.

These repeated violations against leaders, activists, and citizens of the south, require you, as dictated by your legal and humanitarian responsibility, to intervene with the Yemeni government and put pressure on it to reduce such acts, and bring justice to its victims, and hold the perpetrators accountable.

We look forward that the results of your intervention will be the Yemeni government’s acquiescence to its international obligations and the implementation of its commitments towards respecting human rights, and getting justice to the victims and bringing the perpetrators of violations to justice.

Without that, we express our concern that the continued perpetration of these violations may lead to tense conditions and endanger the security and stability of citizens.

1) The Consultative Center for Rights and Freedoms.

Geneva – June 18, 2021.

In association with:

2) Ahrar Organization for Human Rights.
3) Shamsan Center for Studies and Media.
4) Madar Center for Studies and Research
5) Our Right for Rights and Freedoms Organization.
6) Sah Foundation for Human Rights.
7) British Frontline human rights organization
8) Al-Manara Center for Development and Human Rights
9) South Future Foundation
10) The Southern Community in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
11- Sama Organization for Development and Guidance \ Hadhramout
12- Democratic Youth Foundation
13) Southern Media Association SMA