"Lamps Behind Bars" .. A human rights report documents the targeting of academics and teachers in Yemen

A recent human rights report, “Lamps Behind Bars,” revealed serious violations targeting academics and teachers in Yemen, particularly by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

The report , issued by the Arab Council’s Strategic Litigation Portal and prepared by journalist and human rights researcher Abdul Basit Al-Shaja’a, in cooperation with the National Authority for Prisoners and Abductees, covers the period from May 2015 to August 2024.

He reviewed cases of kidnapping of academics and teachers in Yemen, where the Houthi group deliberately kidnapped and pursued them, as part of a policy aimed at eliminating influential groups in Yemeni society and disrupting the educational process.

The report documented more than 20 cases of kidnapping and enforced disappearance, along with 8 testimonies from victims’ families and survivors, in addition to two cases of death under torture in Houthi prisons. Among those targeted were prominent figures such as ministers and government advisors, union figures, university presidents, and influential scientific and cultural figures in Yemeni society. The report includes a legal analysis of a set of documents, including details of investigation sessions and incidents of torture.

It also documented the number of kidnapped academics and teachers within the control of the Houthi group, which received the largest share of violations in the governorates of (Sana’a, the capital, Hodeidah, Hajjah, Amran, Taiz, Ibb, Aden), where the total violations against the kidnapped from September 2014 to June 2024 amounted to 1,304.

The violations were distributed between 1046 cases of kidnapping, 97 cases of enforced disappearance, and 124 cases of torture in detention centers, while the political trials of kidnapped academics and teachers amounted to 26. As for women, the cases of kidnapping amounted to (5), (2) cases of enforced disappearance, and (4) cases of torture.

The report paid special attention to the testimonies of survivors of detention centers, as it contacted 10 released abductees to collect details of their experiences inside the prisons, and to document their suffering, personal experiences, and testimonies of the torture witnessed by others who were with them in the cells.

Violations include: arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, physical and psychological torture, sham trials, and death sentences. Horrific cases of torture have been recorded, such as prolonged solitary confinement, denial of health care, and physical assault. Some of those targeted have been subjected to job dismissal, confiscation of property, and displacement after release.

The report called for the immediate release of detainees and an end to violations, and called on the international community to pressure the responsible parties to ensure respect for human rights and bring perpetrators to justice.