Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has condemned what it described as an intensified and systematic crackdown by the Houthi militia against freedom of expression and public participation in areas under its control.

According to the organization, hundreds of civilians have been abducted in recent weeks, many for merely expressing support for the September 26 Revolution or for allegedly intending to do so. The group said this year’s campaign has been broader, more preemptive, and more indiscriminate than in previous years, affecting journalists, writers, lawyers, students, women, children, and political figures.

WJWC reported that even individuals who refrained from any public activity were targeted, reflecting a policy of mass surveillance and collective punishment.

Field monitors documented at least 273 abductions across seven governorates within two weeks. Among those detained were children as young as five, some arrested for carrying Yemen’s national flag or attending torch-lighting ceremonies commemorating the revolution.

Prominent detainees include journalist Majed Zayed, writer Oras Al-Iryani, lawyer Abdulmajid Sabrah, Socialist Party leader Dr. Aedh Al-Saidi, and activist Mohammed Al-Yafai, who was re-arrested this year after being previously detained in May for encouraging citizens to raise the national flag in public institutions.

The organization also documented the interrogation and brief detention of writer Abdulwahab Al-Harasi, a member of the Yemeni Writers Union, and journalist Mohammed Al-Komani, who was coerced into signing a pledge not to engage in national activities. WJWC described these actions as deliberate intimidation tactics designed to silence civilians and extinguish any expression of national identity.

The latest wave of repression included home raids, workplace arrests, and street detentions, with many victims taken to undisclosed locations. Families have been denied access to or information about their detained relatives.

WJWC expressed deep concern over reports of degrading treatment against women at intensified security checkpoints in Sana’a, Ibb, Dhamar, and Hodeidah. Female Houthi operatives known as Zainabiyat reportedly carried out invasive searches, confiscated phones, and subjected women to prolonged and humiliating detentions.

“These measures reflect a deliberate policy to suppress freedoms and erase Yemen’s national identity in favor of sectarian indoctrination,” the organization said. It added that similar campaigns have been launched in previous years, revealing a consistent pattern of grave violations against freedom of opinion and expression.

WJWC asserted that the Houthis’ actions constitute crimes against humanity, given their systematic and widespread nature. Arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and the mistreatment of women and children are clear violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The organization condemned the ongoing crackdown “in the strongest possible terms” and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, especially journalists, lawyers, activists, and children.

WJWC urged the United Nations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and all relevant international mechanisms to denounce these abuses, pressure the Houthi militia to end its repression, and ensure accountability through independent investigations.

“Such crimes not only violate international law but strike at the heart of Yemen’s social fabric,” WJWC said. “The international community must act decisively to protect civilians and defend fundamental freedoms in Yemen.”