The Houthi militia has abducted at least 20 current and former United Nations employees in Yemen in a new campaign of kidnappings and raids, according to Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC).

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has accused Israeli occupation authorities of systematically targeting the education sector in the Gaza Strip,

A new report by Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) warns that Iran’s proposed 2025 espionage law could become a sweeping instrument of repression, expanding the death penalty to cover peaceful dissent, journalism, and civil activism.

Yemeni human rights activist Mujahid Hassan Ali al-Qab survived an assassination attempt late Tuesday after an unknown gunman opened fire on his home in the al-Qahifa area of Dhuban, north of al-Turbah in Taiz Governorate, according to information obtained by Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC).

The attack occurred on the evening of August 26, 2025, when a bullet pierced the front door of his house and struck him in the lower back of the neck. Al-Qab was rushed to Khalifa General Hospital in al-Turbah, where doctors provided emergency treatment and confirmed that his condition was stable. However, the bullet remains lodged in his body, requiring specialized surgical intervention.

Local security forces in the al-Shamayateen district have launched an initial investigation, gathering evidence from the scene. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Al-Qab is widely recognized as one of Yemen’s leading human rights defenders. He has played a central role in documenting violations in Al Hodaidah Governorate, particularly the plight of civilians injured or killed by landmines laid by Houthi forces. In addition to his independent work, he serves as a human rights monitor for the Office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen and leads the Monitoring Organization for Rights and Development, a civil society group.

His targeting has raised concerns that the attack was directly linked to his activism.

Calls for Accountability

In a statement, Women Journalists Without Chains strongly condemned the attack, calling it “a blatant assault on the right to life and personal security” and an attempt to silence voices exposing rights abuses in Yemen.

“This crime constitutes a systematic threat to human rights work in the country,” the organization said, urging Yemeni authorities in Taiz to conduct an urgent and transparent investigation, prosecute those responsible, and prevent impunity.

The group also appealed to the United Nations, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, and the international community to take “serious steps” to protect human rights defenders and ensure a safe environment for their work.

Escalating Threats to Activists

The incident underscores growing dangers faced by activists in Yemen, where armed groups and local authorities alike have been accused of harassment, intimidation, and targeted violence against human rights defenders.

Al-Qab and his family remain under protection concerns, with rights groups calling for immediate security guarantees to ensure his safety during recovery and beyond.

Sana’a, Yemen — At least six civilians were killed and more than 80 wounded when Israeli airstrikes struck multiple sites across the Yemeni capital on Sunday, August 24, according to local health authorities and human rights monitors.

The strikes hit the Heziz power station south of Sana’a, a fuel station on 60th Street, and a gas company facility in the Algeria neighborhood, triggering massive explosions and fires that engulfed surrounding areas. Residents reported widespread panic as flames lit the night sky and emergency crews rushed to pull survivors from the rubble.

The Ministry of Health, controlled by the Houthi militia, confirmed a toll of six people killed and 86 others injured, including seven children and three women. At least 21 of the wounded remain in critical condition, bringing the total number of casualties to 92.

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC), which has been documenting attacks on civilians, said it verified the names of three victims killed in the strikes: Khaldoun Abdullah Muhammad Aqlan al-Akhali, Haitham Hashim Muhammad Ismail Ghamdan, and Walid Jaber al-Asr.

In a statement, WJWC condemned the airstrikes “in the strongest terms”, describing them as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the rules protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The organization stressed that repeated strikes on non-military sites amount to war crimes under Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions and Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

“These deliberate attacks on civilian areas and vital infrastructure reflect a blatant disregard for international law,” the group said, urging accountability for those responsible.

WJWC called on the United Nations and the wider international community to urgently intervene to halt further attacks, protect the population, and ensure respect for humanitarian law. The group also demanded an independent international investigation into the strikes, along with previous attacks on civilian sites in Yemen, to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

“The protection of civilians is not only a legal obligation but a moral responsibility of the international community,” the organization said.

The strikes mark one of the deadliest escalations in Yemen since Israel expanded its military campaign beyond Gaza earlier this year, drawing the country deeper into the region’s widening conflict. Yemen, already devastated by a decade-long civil war, faces heightened risks as regional powers extend their hostilities onto its territory.

Saudi authorities have arrested Yemeni journalist Mujahid al-Haiqi at Jeddah International Airport without providing reasons for his detention, according to Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC).

Jordanian authorities have arrested film director and producer Ahmed Adnan Al-Ramahi in Amman, part of a widening campaign of detentions targeting activists and public figures expressing solidarity with Gaza.

The death of Syrian detainee Osama al-Jaour inside Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh Prison has ignited widespread alarm over the plight of thousands of prisoners enduring inhumane conditions in the country’s overcrowded detention centers.

Shocking allegations of abuse inside Yemen’s Political Security Branch in Marib Governorate have surfaced following testimony from former detainee Manea Suleiman, prompting calls for an urgent investigation.

The detention of Yemeni activist Shoaib Mohammad Al-Dhubhani in Taiz Governorate is the latest alarming sign of deepening repression against peaceful civic voices, Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) said today.

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has warned that the recent announcement by Israeli occupation authorities of their intent to intensify military operations to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip signals a dangerous shift into a new and even more devastating phase of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, now in its twenty-second month.