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| Arabia |
| Human rights monitor accuses Houthis of hostage-taking, torture |
| 2018-09-26 |
| [ARABNEWS] Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Yemen’s Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews... militia of hostage-taking, torture and other serious abuses against people in their custody. The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the Iran-backed Shiite Lion of Islams, "in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces." "Houthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture," HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks and assault rifles. Prisoners were shackled to walls, caned and threatened with rape, it said, noting that hostage-taking "is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime." "The Houthis have added profiteering to their long list of abuses and offenses against the people under their control in Yemen," said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. "Rather than treat detainees humanely, some Houthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture and murder." |
| Posted by:Fred |