Shabwa.. Health sector personnel hold a protest to demand the arrest and trial of those accused of killing their colleague "Salem Al-Khalifi"

Dozens of health sector employees in the city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate (southeast Yemen), held a protest today, Monday, demanding the arrest of the killers of their colleague, "Salem Abdullah Sael Al-Khalifi", and bringing him to trial.

Local sources told "Yemeni Youth Net" that dozens of health workers in the city of Ataq demonstrated in front of the Public Prosecution building and demanded the immediate handover of Al-Khalifi's killers to the judiciary and the start of their trial.

According to the sources, the protesters raised banners demanding that the governor (Awad Mohammed bin Al-Wazir Al-Awlaki) direct the leadership of the Second Shabwa Defense Brigade to quickly hand over the killers to the civil judiciary and impose a deterrent punishment on them.

On July 3, the assistant physician, Al-Khalifi, was shot dead by members of the Shabwa Defense Forces loyal to the UAE-backed Transitional Council, at a security checkpoint at the eastern entrance to the city of Ataq, while he was returning on his motorcycle from his work at the Shabwa General Hospital Authority.

According to human rights sources at the time, Al-Khalifi was chased by the checkpoint personnel and shot, which led to his death, while the personnel justified it by saying that he crossed the checkpoint without being searched.

Since then, the UAE-backed Shabwa Defense Forces have been delaying handing over the killers to the judiciary to begin their trial, amid widespread popular anger.

Forces loyal to the UAE-backed Transitional Council in Shabwa are accused of committing widespread violations and crimes against civilians and human rights in the governorate.