A formal complaint submitted by the family of Malek Mohammed Abdullah Ismail al-Yaqubi has prompted strong concerns over persistent impunity in Yemen,

after eight years of stalled justice, unenforced arrest warrants, and the continued protection of key suspects linked to his abduction and killing in November 2017.

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) said it reviewed the complaint along with a substantial set of official documents, all of which point to the involvement of gunmen from the Abu al-Abbas Brigades under the command of Adel al-Ezi. According to the family’s account, al-Yaqubi was taken on 25 November 2017 outside his home in al-Turbah, Taiz governorate, by three military vehicles belonging to forces led by al-Ezi. His body was found hours later in Taiz marked by severe torture and a gunshot wound to the neck.

Despite being named in judicial documents as a primary suspect, al-Ezi currently occupies a senior position in one of the so-called  National Resistance Forces brigades in al-Mokha—an outcome WJWC says epitomizes the culture of impunity that continues to shield individuals implicated in grave violations.

The victim’s family has spent eight years pursuing justice, staging demonstrations, filing complaints, and submitting repeated appeals, including calls for Presidential Leadership Council member and National Resistance commander Tariq Saleh to surrender al-Ezi. These pleas, WJWC noted, have gone unanswered, even though the case has been formally referred to the Specialized Criminal Court.

WJWC confirmed that the case file includes an indictment issued by the Specialized Criminal Prosecution against al-Ezi, as well as multiple arrest warrants. Among them is a 2024 directive instructing the West Coast security sector to carry out a compulsory arrest in Case No. 13/2022, which concerns al-Yaqubi’s kidnapping and killing. Additional memoranda from the Attorney General and the Military Region IV Prosecution—along with a recent order issued in May 2025—again demanded al-Ezi’s arrest. None of these directives have been enforced.

he organization stressed that the refusal to implement judicial orders and ongoing efforts to shield suspects represent a direct violation of Yemen’s constitution and criminal procedure law. Obstructing justice, it warned, amounts to complicity in the crime and carries legal responsibility for all officials involved.

WJWC emphasized that the abduction, torture, and killing of al-Yaqubi constitute aggravated murder under Yemeni law, a charge that does not expire with time. The torture inflicted also violates the UN Convention Against Torture, which Yemen has ratified. Military and security leaders who ignore arrest orders, the group said, may bear command responsibility for obstructing justice and denying the family their right to an effective remedy.

The organization added that Yemen’s failure to enforce judicial decisions breaches the state’s international obligations, including those under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to life and requires effective remedies for victims. Such practices, WJWC warned, entrench a culture of impunity that the United Nations has identified as one of the gravest threats to the rule of law.

WJWC called on judicial authorities—including the Specialized Criminal Prosecution and Court—to fulfill their constitutional duties by completing legal proceedings and enforcing the arrest warrants without delay. It held the National Resistance Forces leadership responsible for obstructing justice and demanded the immediate surrender of Adel al-Ezi to the judiciary.

The organization also urged the United Nations and international human-rights bodies to intensify pressure on Yemeni authorities to ensure the implementation of judicial orders, end the protection of suspects, and support the victim’s family in obtaining redress.

In its closing statement, WJWC reaffirmed that the abduction, torture, and killing of Malek al-Yaqubi cannot be erased by time or silence. Justice, it said, is non-negotiable—and shielding suspects is a direct assault on the rule of law and the rights of victims.