Official Statement: “All for All”—The Humanitarian Imperative Must Transcend Political Maneuvering

Official Statement: “All for All”—The Humanitarian Imperative Must Transcend Political Maneuvering

Issued by the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope)

As the current round of negotiations commences in Muscat, Oman, the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) closely monitors the proceedings between the Yemeni government and the Houthi insurgents. While we welcome any framework leading to the release of detainees, we emphasize that the issue of the abducted and forcibly disappeared is strictly a humanitarian cause that must not be relegated to the periphery of political brinkmanship or tactical calculations.

 Key Assertions and Strategic Demands:

• The “All-for-All” Principle: We advocate for the comprehensive release of all detainees based on the “all-for-all” principle. The suffering of over 16,000 families must not be exploited as leverage in political settlements.

• Systemic Enforced Disappearance: We vehemently condemn the Houthi militia’s persistent refusal to honor the 2018 Stockholm Agreement. Approximately 600 civilians remain incommunicado in clandestine detention centers across Sana’a and Sa’dah. Cases such as those of Yahya Al-Aizari (detained since 2014), Ismail Al-Ramadi, Shakaib Allan, and Emad Al-Talibi represent flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.

• The Case of Mohammed Qahtan: We express grave concern regarding the continued disappearance of politician Mohammed Qahtan, held since April 2015. Despite being explicitly protected under UN Security Council Resolution 2216, his fate remains unknown, and his family is denied any form of communication—a status that has persisted for over nine years.

• Legal Accountability & International Responsibility: Enforced disappearance constitutes a crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. We call upon the United Nations and the Special Envoy to Yemen to integrate the file of the forcibly disappeared as a non-negotiable priority in the Muscat agenda.

⚖️ Our Mandate to the International Community:

We demand an immediate, unconditional cessation of the ongoing abduction campaigns—which have recently targeted UN personnel, diplomats, and NGO staff. Furthermore, we call for the establishment of independent and impartial investigations into all cases of enforced disappearance to ensure accountability and preclude the culture of impunity.

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and the Government of Yemen must uphold their legal and ethical obligations to secure the liberation of all detainees and provide comprehensive redress to the victims and their families.

Issued by: The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) Sunday, June 30, 2024 — Republic of Yemen

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