Closed Discussion Seminar at the Palais des Nations in Geneva Addresses the Situation of Violations in Yemen

Geneva – September 18, 2026

A closed panel discussion was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, in Conference Room TEMPUS 3, addressing the reality of human rights violations in Yemen between the past and the present. The event was organized by the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID).

The seminar was moderated by Ms. Grażyna Baranowska, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, with the participation of a number of human rights advocates, experts, and interested individuals, while simultaneous interpretation in six languages was provided during the discussions inside the hall.

The seminar commenced with opening remarks by the Chair of the Working Group, welcoming the President of the Erada Organization for Combating Torture and Enforced Disappearance, who is also the President of the Yemeni Center, and his accompanying team.

The floor was then given to Sheikh Jamal Al-Maamari, who welcomed this initiative and humanitarian gesture towards Yemen, appreciating the organization of the seminar and the opportunity to discuss the reality of violations and victims’ issues. Mr. Mohammad Al-Obaidi, Training Officer at the Working Group, also delivered a statement, followed by extensive discussions during which questions and inquiries were raised regarding the human rights situation in Yemen, grave human rights violations, and cases of enforced disappearance throughout the years of war.

Sheikh Jamal Al-Maamari delivered a comprehensive presentation on the reality of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and ill-treatment, including deaths in custody. He also addressed violations against children and women, the conditions of prisons and secret detention centers, and available information on locations where forcibly disappeared individuals are believed to be held, as well as ways to identify and link these sites to missing persons’ files to reveal their fate. Furthermore, he handed over dozens of documentation files to the Working Group, depicting the immense suffering of the forcibly disappeared.

A portion of the discussion was dedicated to the file of United Nations staff and workers in international organizations who are detained and forcibly disappeared in the prisons of the terrorist Houthi militia. The tragic conditions they endure in detention were highlighted, noting the death of some detainees while others remain in custody, with some facing proceedings and trials, including Dr. Ali Al-Mudawahi.

Discussions also addressed the pressure and coercion exerted on certain abductees to extract confessions regarding espionage charges, emphasizing the necessity of guaranteeing their legal rights, rejecting these baseless accusations, and ensuring their safety and prompt, unconditional release.

Another part of the discussions was devoted to the conditions of prisons and secret detention centers, locating them, and linking them to files of the forcibly disappeared, thereby helping to reveal their fate, enabling their families to know the truth, and holding perpetrators accountable. The conditions of prisons in Houthi-controlled areas were also discussed and compared with detention centers under the Yemeni government in terms of detention conditions, legal guarantees, and access to detainees.

The Erada Organization presented its documented cases of violations and torture methods, along with its information gathering and verification mechanisms and the risks faced by sources. The panel also addressed accountability mechanisms, Yemen’s position regarding the Rome Statute, and encouraged Yemen’s accession to the Rome Statute to allow the referral of files to the International Criminal Court (ICC) within the framework of accountability and combating impunity, as well as the level of cooperation by the parties with UN mechanisms, including concerns raised over the Houthi authorities’ lack of response to communications concerning forcibly disappeared individuals.

Discussions reaffirmed the importance of developing monitoring and documentation mechanisms, strengthening cooperation with relevant UN mechanisms, and providing them with documented files to assist in tracking cases of enforced disappearance and uncovering the fate and whereabouts of victims, thereby enhancing detainee protection, delivering justice, providing reparations, and fighting impunity.

The discussions touched upon the severity of these violations and the necessity of documenting them according to professional and legal standards, as well as preserving related evidence and testimonies to enhance opportunities for accountability and redress for victims and their families.

UN Commendation: The seminar witnessed widespread UN and international praise for the efforts of the “Erada” Organization and its President, Sheikh Jamal Al-Maamari, in documenting violations of torture and enforced disappearance in Yemen. In just two years, the organization submitted documentary files ten times greater than what had been submitted over the preceding nine years (which amounted to only 32 files).

The UN Working Group Rapporteur commended Al-Maamari, describing him as a “man of strong will” for his efforts and perseverance despite the risks, while attendees affirmed the organization’s credibility and the importance of continuing its professional work to amplify the voices of victims and clarify the fate of the disappeared, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture.