In the heart of Yemen's protracted conflict, a systematic campaign of repression has taken root across Houthi-controlled territories.

A recent report by Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) reveals an alarming escalation in human rights violations committed by the Houthi militia, targeting civilians across at least six governorates. These violations—ranging from arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances to torture, threats, and assaults on women—form part of a coordinated effort to stifle dissent, silence civil society, and instill fear within the population.

The organization describes a pattern of abuse that is both widespread and methodically executed. Victims include professionals from every sector: journalists, lawyers, academics, doctors, engineers, tribal leaders, and ordinary citizens. The sheer diversity of the targeted population suggests a deliberate strategy aimed at dismantling the country’s intellectual, social, and political infrastructure.

From violent night raids and the use of terror tactics in Ibb to retaliatory torture in Raimah, and from mass kidnappings in Sana’a to the suppression of peaceful protest in Dhalea, the violations reflect a militia policy built on impunity and domination. In some cases, families have been extorted for the release of detained loved ones, adding a layer of economic exploitation to the militia’s repressive arsenal.

WJWC warns that these acts, documented between May and early July 2025, amount to grave breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law. The organization urges the international community to act swiftly to hold perpetrators accountable and to protect Yemeni civilians from a deepening cycle of abuse.

The governorate of Ibb has emerged as the epicenter of a sweeping campaign of repression by the Houthi militia. Since May 2025, Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has documented a marked intensification of violent raids, abductions, and terror tactics across the region. Homes have been stormed during the night, and civilians from all walks of life have been forcibly taken—among them academics, healthcare workers, teachers, engineers, lawyers, and tribal figures. The scope and scale of the campaign suggest a deliberate strategy aimed at silencing dissent and instilling fear across communities.

The organization reported that at least 60 abductions occurred in Ibb during this period, though the actual figure is likely much higher. Many victims remain unaccounted for, and families have been intimidated into silence, reluctant to report disappearances due to fear of retaliation. The Houthi militia has targeted not just individuals but also communication infrastructure, cutting off access to networks in affected areas to prevent the spread of information and to isolate communities under siege.

According to field sources, Houthi fighters conducted aggressive incursions in nearly every district of Ibb, including its capital. The raids were accompanied by threats to families, coercing them into surrendering relatives deemed “wanted” by the militia. Information about the fate or whereabouts of detainees has often been withheld. Victims have been subjected to prolonged incommunicado detention, and in some cases, torture has been used to extract false confessions or to punish perceived opposition.

The organization notes that this campaign has not only disrupted the social fabric of Ibb but also targeted the region’s intellectual and educational sectors. Educators and scholars have been among those most frequently targeted, indicating a pattern designed to eliminate independent thought and consolidate ideological control. This repressive environment has cultivated widespread fear, discouraging civic engagement and undermining efforts to build social resilience in a governorate long recognized for its cultural and academic contributions.

In Raimah Governorate, the Houthi militia launched a punitive campaign of arrests and torture following the assassination of Sheikh Saleh Hantos in early July 2025. According to WJWC, the militia specifically targeted relatives of the slain tribal leader in the village of Al-Mu’adhab, located in the Salafiya District. The operation was carried out under the pretext of uncovering conspiracies involving foreign entities, but eyewitnesses and field sources described it as an act of collective punishment.

Approximately twelve individuals related to Sheikh Hantos were abducted during the raids. Detainees were reportedly tortured and pressured into making false confessions to support the militia’s narrative. This retaliatory response appears intended not only to justify the killing of Hantos but also to send a broader message of intimidation to tribal networks and potential dissenters.

In a harrowing account shared during a television interview, Fatima Al-Masouri—the widow of Sheikh Hantos—recounted the assault on their home. After sustaining injuries, she fled to Taiz for medical treatment, declaring that she refused to seek care in Houthi-controlled areas out of fear for her life. Al-Masouri described the raid as “unjustified” and revealed that around 2,000 armed fighters and 150 military vehicles were deployed in the operation, which targeted a household that included only women and an elderly resident. Her testimony exposed the disproportionate and brutal nature of the attack, raising serious concerns about the militia’s use of excessive force against civilians.

In Taiz Governorate, the Mawiyah District has witnessed a disturbing rise in abuses targeting women and children. On June 24, 2025, the Houthi militia conducted a violent raid on the home of Khaled Qaed Al-Azab in the village of Akhrak. Women in the household were physically assaulted, leaving several unconscious—including a pregnant woman. The militia then abducted three of Al-Azab’s sons, vandalized the property, and terrorized the remaining family members.

In early July, the Baher area of the same district was subjected to a mass abduction campaign in which dozens of civilians were forcibly taken. According to WJWC and media sources, the families of abductees were forced to pay large sums of money for their release. Approximately fifty families were ultimately displaced to neighboring areas in Al Dhale’e Governorate to escape ongoing harassment and fear of further retaliation.

In the city of Damt in Dhalea Governorate, the Houthi militia’s repression took the form of land confiscation and violent crackdowns on protest. On July 2, 2025, residents took to the streets to oppose the militia’s forced seizure of private lands for the establishment of the so-called “Damt Customs.” This entity, set up by the militia after reopening the road between Sana’a and Aden, imposed unlawful taxes on goods, creating a parallel economy that enriched the group at the expense of local citizens.

During the protests, several residents were arbitrarily arrested. Field reports confirmed that the militia used bulldozers and armed protection to clear large swaths of land in Al-Sadrain without compensation or legal justification. The operation bypassed judicial procedures and left residents with no means to contest the expropriation. WJWC described the events as a dual violation—of property rights and the right to peaceful assembly—underscoring the militia’s broader policy of forced acquisition and systemic repression.

In Sana’a, the Houthi militia’s violations extended to women and activists. On June 27, 2025, three young girls were arrested in a late-night raid conducted without legal warrants or female officers. They were taken to a detention facility that lacked proper accommodations for women and subjected to overnight interrogations by male officials. According to lawyer Wadah Qutaish, the detainees were denied legal counsel and the protection of public prosecution.

These arrests reportedly stemmed from the girls’ efforts to assist a Yemeni-American citizen in leaving Houthi-controlled territory. After a night without sleep or basic care, they were transferred to the Central Prison in Sana’a. Their treatment, WJWC emphasized, constituted a flagrant breach of international law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Around the same time, the militia arrested civil society activist Sanad Naji under humiliating conditions. Naji, a prominent advocate for justice in the unresolved killing of Bashar al-Absi in Taiz, had previously received threats warning him to abandon the case. His detention reflects the broader targeting of human rights defenders and the use of legal harassment to silence critical voices.

On June 11, 2025, over 54 civilians were abducted across Sana’a under accusations of using unauthorized satellite internet devices. Houthi operatives conducted coordinated raids, seizing electronics and imposing fines without due process. Detainees were denied legal assistance, and their arrests marked another phase in the militia’s campaign to control digital access and restrict information flows.

Women Journalists Without Chains emphasized that these widespread violations—kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, torture, assaults on women, forced displacement, and property seizures—constitute gross breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law. These acts contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on Enforced Disappearance, CEDAW, and the Geneva Conventions.

In addition, the militia’s extortion of families for detainees’ release amounts to organized economic crime. Victims are coerced into paying for their freedom, compounding the human rights abuses with material exploitation.

According to WJWC, the systematic nature and scale of the abuses qualify as crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. The organization called on the United Nations, the Security Council, and all relevant bodies to launch transparent investigations, hold perpetrators accountable, and end the prevailing culture of impunity.

WJWC urged immediate action to secure the release of all detainees, halt the repression of civil society, and reinforce international protection mechanisms. It warned that continued international silence effectively grants the militia a license to commit further crimes, jeopardizing Yemen’s already fragile human rights landscape.

Without concrete international intervention, the cycle of violence and repression will continue to escalate, endangering not only the present generation but also the prospects for future stability and justice in Yemen.