Lawyer Starts Hunger Strike Over Houthi Detention

Yemeni lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra has commenced an open-ended hunger strike to protest his continued detention by Houthi militias, who have held him without formal charges or judicial process.

Human rights sources indicated that Mr. Sabra is currently being held in a security and intelligence facility in the Sarf area, north of Sana'a. He has reportedly been moved between several detention centers belonging to the same agency in recent weeks.

The Houthi forces initially abducted the lawyer on September 25th of last year, following a raid on his office in the Shamila district of Sana'a. Reports suggest that inside prison, he was pressured to abandon his work on human rights cases, cease political posts on social media, and refrain from defending detainees as a condition for his release.

Despite Mr. Sabra's agreement to these terms, authorities have reportedly delayed his release and refused to disclose the reasons for his ongoing detention or to refer his case to the judiciary.

Abdulmajeed Sabra is recognized as a prominent advocate for individuals detained in Houthi prisons in Sana'a, including several journalists abducted in recent years. His hunger strike has heightened concerns among human rights organizations regarding his safety and the lack of legal guarantees for his rights.