Originally posted on The Middle East Monitor website, March 1, 2021
SAM Organisation for Rights and Liberties yesterday called on the international community to immediately intervene and stop death sentences issued by the Houthis against journalists and political opponents in Yemen.
In a statement the organisation slammed the death sentences issued by courts affiliated with the Houthi group against a number of journalists, political opponents and activists saying the practices reflect the group’s exclusionary mentality and violate human rights amid international silence.
SAM said it was following, with great concern, the trial of a number of journalists by the Houthis, as well as the Sanaa Specialised Criminal Court’s issuance of death sentences against seven Yemenis on charges of leaking military secrets and aiding “aggressors”.
The statement stressed that the rulings violate the principle of a fair trial, since the courts are supervised by an armed group.
The statement said the timing of the trials and death sentences were not coincidental, but rather came after the UN Security Council resolution on human rights violations in Yemen and demands to put an end to the ongoing violations there.
The organisation called on the international community to take immediate and serious action to stop these trials.
It also called on the international community and the Security Council to expedite the development of a comprehensive plan to ensure the adoption of a democratic system that protects the rights of Yemenis and meets their aspirations.
