Unmasking Impunity: WJWC Calls for Action Against Houthi Repression of Activist Al-Ashari

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the escalating pattern of enforced disappearances,

torture, and inhumane treatment carried out by the Houthi militia against civilians, particularly abductees and the forcibly disappeared. The organization warned that these ongoing abuses, including denial of medical care, solitary confinement, and psychological torture, amount to crimes against humanity and reflect a deeply entrenched policy of repression and impunity.

At the center of WJWC’s latest appeal is the case of civil society activist Asim Abdulqawi Al-Ashari, who has been held incommunicado for over a year at a detention facility operated by the Houthi-run Security and Intelligence Service in Sana’a. Al-Ashari was abducted on May 31, 2024, while traveling with his wife and children from Sana’a to Aden. Since his arrest, no formal charges have been brought against him, and his family has been denied all contact.

According to credible press sources and testimonies, Al-Ashari has developed partial blindness during his prolonged detention, despite having no prior medical history of visual impairment. These alarming developments raise serious concerns that his deteriorating condition stems either from torture or medical neglect, exacerbated by prolonged solitary confinement. Reports warn that without urgent access to appropriate medical care, he faces the imminent risk of permanent blindness.

WJWC emphasized that the total denial of medical attention, coupled with the refusal to allow family visits or legal representation, is a flagrant violation of international legal standards governing the treatment of detainees. The organization cited the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture, both of which prohibit such treatment and underscore the right of detainees to dignity, healthcare, and due process.

Adding to the gravity of the case, Al-Ashari’s prolonged disappearance has inflicted deep psychological trauma on his family. His father, overwhelmed by the uncertainty surrounding his son’s fate, suffered a severe stroke in June and was subsequently admitted to intensive care at the Yemeni Modern Hospital. WJWC stated that this reflects a broader, often overlooked consequence of enforced disappearance: the profound and lasting toll it takes on the mental and physical health of victims’ families.

The organization stressed that Al-Ashari’s case is not isolated but rather emblematic of systematic violations committed by the Houthi militia in areas under its control. Numerous reports and survivor testimonies have documented a pervasive pattern of abuse in Houthi detention centers—including routine torture, solitary confinement, medical negligence, and deprivation of communication with the outside world. These practices have led to the deaths of hundreds of detainees, whether during their imprisonment or shortly after release due to medical complications resulting from inhumane treatment.

One such case was that of Ahmed Ba’alawi, a Yemeni employee of the United Nations, who was abducted with eight colleagues on January 23, 2025, and forcibly disappeared. On February 11, 2025, the Houthi authorities announced Ba’alawi’s death under unexplained circumstances. According to sources, he was held in a facility devoid of basic humanitarian standards. The militia reportedly refused to allow an autopsy or forensic examination and buried his body hastily, further heightening suspicions of death by torture.

WJWC asserted that Ba’alawi’s fate is tragically representative of what many forcibly disappeared persons in Yemen endure—some never return, while others emerge with severe disabilities, chronic illnesses, or irreversible psychological damage. Yet, no perpetrators have been held accountable, and impunity continues to shield those responsible.

In its statement, WJWC also sounded the alarm over a dangerous new wave of abductions carried out by the Houthis, particularly in Ibb Governorate. Targets have included academics, doctors, teachers, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders. The surge in arbitrary detentions raises urgent questions about the conditions inside the militia’s secret detention sites, as well as the fate of individuals who are denied even their most basic rights.

The organization emphasized that the ongoing violations against Al-Ashari—including his enforced disappearance, denial of medical treatment, isolation, torture, and psychological abuse—constitute a clear crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Moreover, they represent serious breaches of Articles 7, 9, and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and a violation of Article 1 of the Convention against Torture.

WJWC held the Houthi militia fully responsible for Al-Ashari’s deteriorating condition and for the suffering endured by his family. The organization issued an urgent appeal to the international community, demanding immediate action to:

1. Uncover the fate of Asim Al-Ashari and ensure his unrestricted access to medical treatment, legal counsel, and family contact.
2. Secure the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals abducted or forcibly disappeared by the Houthi militia.
3. Launch an independent international investigation into the violations taking place within Houthi prisons and detention facilities.
4. End the prevailing culture of impunity, bring those responsible to justice, and provide redress to victims and their families.

In its concluding remarks, Women Journalists Without Chains called on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen to intervene without delay. The organization stressed that the continued silence of the international community and the absence of effective UN action are enabling further atrocities.

“A firm and unified international stance is not only necessary to deter further violations,” the statement read, “but it is also a moral obligation to restore dignity to victims, ensure justice for their families, and reaffirm the principles of international humanitarian law.”