Geneva: Arab and Yemeni human rights defenders and activists have condemned in the strongest possible terms the brutal atrocities, crimes and violations committed by Al Houthi militia and group of deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh against the women in Yemen.
Speakers condemned these human rights abuses terming them as “bereft of human sense” and said the perpetrators had no regard for the sanctity of women in Yemen.
These crimes, they underscored, had drawn severe criticism and condemnation from the international community as they constituted flagrant violations of the international conventions and declaration of women’s human rights.
The human rights defenders were speaking at a landmark event organised by the Arab Federation for Human Rights (AFHR) on the sidelines of the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to expose the heinous crimes perpetrated by Al Houthi militia against the Yemeni women. The event topped the list of anti-human rights activities that were discussed in Geneva.
Taking the floor first, Dr. Mona Hejres, a member of the AFHR and head of ‘Together for Human Rights’, spoke about the scale of suffering that the Yemeni women endured, ranging from violations to war crimes committed by Al Houthi militia and Saleh group ever since they took control of Yemen and toppled the legitimate government.
Dr Mona said women, during the rule of the deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh, had been subjected to grave human rights violations, noting that women were active participants in the revolution that drove Saleh out of power.
During that revolution, she said, women had faced many human rights crimes, including killing, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and use of excessive force. These savage crimes, she added, made women the most vulnerable segment of the Yemeni community to face gross violations, exclusion and oppression.
Being deprived of their political, cultural and social rights, as well as their freedoms and role in running the state’s affairs and contributing to the nation’s development and building modern Yemen, Yemeni women have since been on a tireless struggle for their rights and freedom.
In her paper, Dr Mona elaborated on the suffering of Yemeni women at the hands of Al Houthi militia and Saleh group, particularly reporting on murder, forced disappearances, kidnappings, deprivation of basic educational and health services, bombardment of residential districts, along with assassinations in the capital Sana’a, Aden and other cities.
She called upon the international community to live up to its responsibilities in protecting the Yemeni people, especially women, and back the Arab Coalition’s operations seeking to protect the Yemeni people. She also appealed to the UN Security Council to protect world peace and security by swiftly enforcing its resolutions on Yemen and ensure protection, safety and security for its people, and particularly women.
