Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) expresses its strongest condemnation of the killing of Yemeni citizen Mohammed Abdulrahman Mujalli and the subsequent assassination attempts against his father, Dr. Abdulrahman Mujalli, a respected academic and poet.

The organization warns that this case epitomizes the total collapse of justice in areas controlled by the Houthi militia and reflects a deeply entrenched policy of impunity that continues to endanger civilian life.

In February 2025, a heavily armed gang stormed the Mujalli family home in Sana’a, looted its contents, and set it ablaze. During the attack, Mohammed suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to intensive care, where he died on April 2, 2025.

His father, Dr. Mujalli, soon began a public appeal for accountability—an act that, under Houthi rule, carries immense personal risk. Two months later, one suspect was briefly detained but released within a week despite confessing to his role in the crime. According to Dr. Mujalli, the perpetrator was “well-connected,” a phrase that captures the systemic corruption and manipulation of the justice system under Houthi control.

Instead of protection, the bereaved father was met with retaliation. In October 2025, Dr. Mujalli survived multiple assassination attempts, including gunfire and vehicular assault near his home. His persistence in demanding justice has been met with intimidation and terror—underscoring how the Houthi authorities have turned the pursuit of justice into an act of defiance.

Recently, a deeply moving video circulated online showing Dr. Mujalli in tears beside his son’s grave, mourning both his loss and the denial of justice. The image has resonated widely among Yemenis and international observers alike, revealing the unbearable weight of grief in a society where the law has been stripped of its meaning.

Not an Isolated Tragedy, but a Systemic Crisis

The Mujalli family’s ordeal is part of a broader pattern of abuses and violent crimes that go unpunished in Houthi-controlled areas. The recent killing of young physician Dr. Wafa Al-Makhlafi follows the same pattern—where perpetrators benefit from protection, and the victims’ families are silenced by fear.

This deliberate erosion of judicial institutions has transformed Houthi territory into a zone of legal anarchy. The police, prosecutors, and courts no longer serve the public but operate under militia command, weaponized to suppress dissent and shield loyalists. In this structure, connections override confessions, and accountability has become impossible.

Grave Violations of International Law

The crimes committed against Mohammed and Dr. Mujalli—including premeditated murder, aggravated assault, arson, armed robbery, and attempted assassination—constitute serious violations of international human-rights and humanitarian law.

Under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, such acts may amount to crimes against humanity when carried out as part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians. They further violate Articles 6 and 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, guaranteeing the rights to life, liberty, and personal security.

The intimidation of Dr. Mujalli for seeking justice is a direct assault on the principles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which protects individuals advocating for accountability and the rule of law.

Women Journalists Without Chains therefore:

·       Demands the immediate arrest, prosecution, and punishment of all perpetrators before an independent and impartial judiciary that meets international fair-trial standards.

·       Holds the Houthi militia fully responsible for the deteriorating security conditions, the disintegration of judicial institutions, and the pervasive impunity that fuels ongoing violence.

·       Calls on the United Nations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and relevant international mechanisms to open an independent, transparent, and internationally supervised investigation into this case and other similar violations in Houthi-controlled areas.

A Nation on the Edge of Moral Collapse

WJWC warns that Yemen is facing a dangerous and irreversible moral collapse under Houthi rule, where the rule of law has been replaced by the rule of the gun, and where those who seek justice are hunted rather than heard. The tears of Dr. Mujalli are not his alone—they are shared by countless Yemeni families whose loved ones have been killed, disappeared, or silenced while their murderers walk free.

The Mujalli case is not merely a personal tragedy; it is an indictment of an entire system built on impunity and fear. If justice continues to be denied, violence will remain Yemen’s only language—and the lives of innocent citizens will continue to be the price of silence.

WJWC reaffirms that justice for the Mujalli family is inseparable from justice for all Yemenis. Only through accountability, transparency, and international pressure can Yemen begin to restore its humanity and reclaim the sanctity of life that has been so cruelly violated.