The Yemeni Center Condemns the Houthi Bombing of the Central Prison Building in Al-Hazm City, Al-Jawf Governorate

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) condemns in the strongest terms the crime of bombing the Central Prison building in the city of Al-Hazm, Al-Jawf Governorate, on Monday, September 7, 2026. The explosion caused widespread destruction and damage to several neighboring buildings and facilities, in a highly dangerous incident that raises serious concerns regarding the safety and fate of the prisoners, abductees, and detainees who were inside the prison at the time of the explosion.

The Yemeni Center holds the Houthi militia responsible for the safety of all prisoners, abductees, and detainees present inside the facility under its control. It demands that the militia immediately and unconditionally reveal their fate, disclose the numbers of those killed, injured, and surviving, and enable the families of the victims to know the fate of their loved ones.

According to preliminary testimonies obtained by the Yemeni Center from citizens and eyewitnesses, elements affiliated with the Houthi militia were seen bringing boxes suspected of containing explosive materials into the prison building shortly before the explosion occurred, which led to the destruction of the building and damage to adjacent structures.

The Center stresses that these preliminary testimonies necessitate an urgent investigation and independent verification. The causes of the explosion or the party responsible for it must not be finalized prior to examining physical evidence, hearing witness testimonies, and conducting a professional and impartial investigation.

The gravity of the incident increases given that, according to initial reports, the Houthi militia sealed off the area surrounding the prison and prevented the movement of citizens and access to the site of the explosion. This raises serious concerns about tampering with the scene of the incident, removing evidence, and obliterating the features of the crime, as the Houthis are the party responsible for it.

Furthermore, this incident raises additional concerns in light of previous occurrences that witnessed the destruction of detention facilities in areas under Houthi militia control, amidst confirmed accounts of the Houthis bombing them with occupants inside to place responsibility on airstrikes.

The Yemeni Center considers that the recurrence of such incidents requires opening a comprehensive investigation into all their circumstances, and not allowing prisons and detention centers to be turned into battlegrounds, military targets, or tools for settling scores.

The presence of prisoners, abductees, or detainees inside the prison at the moment of its bombing, if proven, doubles the gravity of the incident and its legal and humanitarian severity, necessitating the accountability of everyone whose involvement or responsibility is established.

The Yemeni Center emphasizes that persons deprived of their liberty enjoy special protection. Their detention does not forfeit their right to life, physical integrity, and humane treatment, and they must not be deliberately exposed to danger, used as human shields, or thrust into facilities subject to targeting or destruction.

Accordingly, the Yemeni Center demands the immediate and full disclosure of the fate of all prisoners, abductees, and detainees who were inside the Central Prison in Al-Hazm at the time of the explosion, the disclosure of the true number of killed, injured, and surviving individuals, the publication of the victims’ names where possible, and the official and immediate notification of their families.

The Yemeni Center also demands immediate and unconditional access for independent humanitarian and human rights bodies, foremost among them the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and competent international bodies, to access the prison site and verify the conditions of the detainees and victims.

It further demands an urgent, independent, and impartial international investigation into the bombing incident, including the causes and nature of the explosion and the materials used in it, verifying testimonies regarding the introduction of explosive materials into the facility, and identifying the party that brought them in as well as those responsible for issuing and executing any orders related to the incident.

The Yemeni Center stresses the need to protect the crime scene and evidence associated with the incident, preventing any tampering with the site, removal of rubble, or transfer of materials and debris that could assist in determining the source and mechanism of the explosion.

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture rejects any predefined narrative regarding the causes of the explosion prior to the completion of an independent investigation. It warns against exploiting the victims and detainees in disinformation campaigns or mutual accusations, calling for the documentation of all violations related to the incident and the referral of anyone proven responsible to competent judicial authorities to ensure no impunity.

The Yemeni Center also demands a broader investigation into previous bombings and destructions of detention facilities in areas under Houthi militia control, verifying whether there are recurring patterns of targeting prisons or endangering detainees, and not allowing these files to be closed without independent, transparent investigations that reveal the truth and assign responsibility.

The Yemeni Center warns that continued secrecy regarding the number of victims, preventing access to the explosion site, tampering with evidence, concealing the fate of detainees, or imposing an alternative narrative necessitates both local and international investigation.

The Yemeni Center affirms that the lives of prisoners, abductees, and detainees are not bargaining chips, tools for revenge, or material for military or political maneuvering. Responsibility for their safety rests with the party detaining them and controlling the facility where they were held.

The bombing of a prison where persons deprived of their liberty are held, along with the resulting killing, injury, or concealment of the detainees’ fate, cannot be treated as a passing incident; rather, it is an event requiring the full truth to be revealed, responsibilities to be assigned, and those involved to be held accountable.

The Yemeni Center calls on the United Nations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and all relevant international mechanisms to act urgently to press for revealing the fate of the detainees, ensuring independent access to the explosion site, protecting evidence, and initiating a fair and transparent investigation into the incident.

The Yemeni Center affirms that the truth is a right for the victims and their families, that the fate of the prisoners, abductees, and detainees must be revealed immediately, and that anyone proven to be involved in this incident must be held accountable, regardless of their position or title.

The truth must be revealed, the fates of the victims must be known, and those responsible must be held accountable.

Issued by: The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – Republic of Yemen