Engineer Allegedly Commits Suicide in Houthi-Controlled Prison in Sana'a
Human rights sources reported Tuesday that a Yemeni engineer died by suicide inside a prison controlled by the Houthi militia in the capital, Sana'a, prompting immediate demands for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the death and accountability for those responsible.
The sources informed the "Khobar" agency that the Houthi militia bears full legal and moral responsibility for the safety of detainees held in its facilities, highlighting what they described as an escalation of violations against abductees in recent periods.
According to the sources, the engineer, identified as Al-Qabati, was subjected to excessive psychological and physical torture during interrogation sessions, isolation in solitary confinement, and was repeatedly denied visitation rights, which severely deteriorated his physical and mental health.
It was further noted that the Iran-backed militia has recently intensified restrictions on detainees, including issuing execution orders through the specialized criminal court under its control. These actions are interpreted as a deliberate attempt to undermine the prisoner exchange agreement brokered in mid-December with the internationally recognized Yemeni government in Muscat, Oman.
Human rights organizations have called upon the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and international and humanitarian bodies to pressure the Houthi militia to cease the alleged abuses against detainees and secure their unconditional release. They asserted that utilizing humanitarian files for leverage constitutes a "grave violation of international humanitarian law."
This incident follows the announcement in mid-December by the delegation of the internationally recognized Yemeni government that an agreement had been reached with the Houthi militia to release approximately 2,900 detainees from both sides, concluding a round of humanitarian consultations hosted in Muscat under the auspices of the UN Envoy.