Managed from the Sultanate of Oman.. Human Rights Organization: Forced Recruitment Networks Involve Yemeni Youth in the Russian-Ukrainian War

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said that involving Yemeni youth in the Russian-Ukrainian war through forced recruitment networks represents a clear violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, and amounts to human trafficking.

In a statement, the organization called for taking firm steps to prosecute and punish those involved, by tightening national laws to protect youth from exploitation, and the need to intensify monitoring of outlets, in addition to opening international investigations into these violations.

Sam pointed out the existence of a complex network of forced recruitment, where local groups cooperate with international brokers to recruit Yemeni youth under false promises of jobs and attractive wages, sometimes reaching 10,000 US dollars, adding that with the absence of oversight and weak legal awareness, Yemeni youth become easy prey for exploitation in military conflicts.

The organization stated that upon their arrival in Russia, recruits are subjected to serious violations, as they are forced to fight in harsh and inhumane conditions, are deprived of food and medical care, and are exposed to injuries and death due to indiscriminate shelling on the battlefronts, which indicates the extent to which these networks exploit the fragility of the recruits’ humanitarian situation.

SAM noted in its statement that the dire economic conditions in Yemen, including unemployment and widespread poverty, make young people an easy target for exploitation, in addition to the lack of awareness of international and local laws, which increases their exposure to exploitation by coercive networks, and makes them more vulnerable to violations in the context of military conflict.

In addition to recruitment, many Yemenis seek to migrate to Europe, fleeing catastrophic conditions, but the absence of the state and weak protection mechanisms make them vulnerable to human trafficking networks that exploit their urgent need for work, as previous reports indicated the participation of Yemenis in regional conflicts such as the fighting in Sudan, which reflects a dangerous pattern of exploitation based on false promises.

SAM said that it is the issue of illegal recruitment of Yemeni youth in Russia, and was able to collect direct testimonies from former recruits, in addition to reports from security sources, and it was found that these operations, which are carried out under the cover of promises of large financial rewards, constitute a blatant violation of human rights and highlight economic exploitation in light of the deteriorating living conditions in Yemen. The testimonies obtained by SAM reveal the existence of a carefully managed and organized network to carry out the transfer of individuals, using multiple fronts to camouflage the recruitment activities.

Sam pointed out that the forced recruitment network is not limited to local agents but also includes individuals linked to political groups inside Yemen, such as Abdul Wali Al-Jabri, who is one of the prominent names in these networks, as recruits are lured through promises of immigration and work, then they are transferred through illegal channels to Russia, and are detained in forced military training camps, adding that these operations often take place without the recruits being fully aware of the legal or humanitarian consequences of signing untranslated contracts.

Sam pointed out that there is a person believed to be of Russian nationality, who is active in facilitating the issuance of visas from the Russian consulate in the Sultanate of Oman, and is close to Al-Jabri’s office, and may have a relationship with another group that receives recruits in Russian territory.

The statement considered that these data cannot be separated from the regional political scene, as various reports hinted at the development of the relationship between the Houthi group and Moscow, and it is believed that there is indirect coordination in the operations of recruiting Yemenis to fight in conflict areas. This comes in light of the Houthis' growing international relations, especially with the powers that support their positions, which raises questions about the level of coordination in exploiting Yemenis as fuel for international conflicts.

The organization said it had reviewed a secret security report issued by a body affiliated with the legitimate government in Yemen, which revealed a complex network led by Abdul-Wali al-Jabri, a member of the House of Representatives affiliated with the Houthi group in Sanaa, and a military commander with the rank of brigadier general. The report confirms that al-Jabri established a company in the Omani capital, Muscat, which was described as a front for organizing the transfer of Yemeni recruits to Russia for the purpose of joining the Russian army.

The report states that Al-Jabri visited Russia in May 2024, accompanied by his assistant, Mohammed Qasim Al-Aliani, where he held meetings with Russian figures to work out the logistical and financial details for transporting the recruits. These meetings appear to have facilitated the entry of the first batch of 120 Yemeni recruits into Russia. In addition, Al-Jabri’s office received a large number of Yemeni passports to present to the Russian consulate in order to expedite travel procedures.

The organization explained that the government report also referred to a mysterious figure named "Dmitry", a Russian national, who works as a representative of the Russian side with Al-Jabri's office, where his role was pivotal in facilitating operations between the parties, indicating a high level of coordination between the two sides.

The organization confirmed that it had obtained testimonies from a number of recruits about the mechanism used by the recruitment network run by Al-Jabri Company to recruit individuals and transport them to Russia. They stated that visas are issued by the Russian embassy in the Sultanate of Oman. Recruits from various governorates are then asked to travel to the city of Al-Ghaydah, the capital of Al-Mahrah Governorate, where visa holders are assembled. Witnesses explained that the network relies on a travel and tourism company run by Al-Jabri’s office, and it appears that this company was established as a front to cover recruitment activities.

According to testimonies, the third phase of the recruits’ transfer process begins after the transport buses cross the Sarfait border crossing between the Sultanate of Oman and Yemen, arriving at a central station that is managed with organizational precision.

“According to testimonies of recruits obtained by SAM, the entry of these people who have Russian tourist visas issued by the Russian consulate in the Yemeni city of Al-Ghaydah is facilitated. Once they arrive in the Omani capital, Muscat, Al-Jabri Transport and Travel Company transfers them to furnished apartments specially equipped for this purpose in the Al-Khuwair and Al-Ghubra areas of Muscat, where Al-Jabri Import Company supervises their temporary residence,” she continued.

In the next step, the recruits said - according to the organization - their travel to Moscow via Dubai International Airport is organized by a person named Mohammed Qasim Al-Aliani, a Yemeni national. The purpose of this trip is divided into two paths: the first path includes joining the Russian forces to fight in Ukraine, while the second path is used to smuggle some individuals to European countries.

SAM confirmed that it was able to document these movements through physical evidence that included travel tickets, one of which confirmed the flight dated August 2, 2024, which showed a clear path starting from Muscat to Dubai and from there to Moscow.

Sam concluded that this information reveals new dimensions to the Yemeni conflict, where regional and international interests overlap in exploiting the internal situation to achieve military and political agendas. In such a context, the activity led by Al-Jabri opens the door to broader questions about the nature of the Russian role in Yemen, and the extent of the impact of this move on the dynamics of the regional and international conflict.

SAM stated that forced recruitment and exploitation of the weak economic conditions of Yemenis constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, including the Geneva Conventions that prohibit endangering civilians. These violations also fall within the scope of human trafficking, according to the United Nations Protocols to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

“Numerous testimonies obtained by SAM and press reports show that Yemeni recruits were systematically deceived by Al-Jabri and Partners, lured with tempting financial promises that included payments of up to $10,000 and a monthly salary of $2,500, in addition to other incentives such as insurance and citizenship,” the organization said. However, the reality was completely different; these workers found themselves detained in camps inside Russia, with strict restrictions on their movement, and they were only allowed to leave under heavy guard and for very limited purposes such as purchasing basic necessities, after which they would return directly to their detention sites.

Sam added that once they realized the reality of the situation, the workers strongly refused to join the fighting fronts, stressing that they came on the basis of civilian work contracts, not as fighters. However, this position complicated their situation, as they were told that there was no way out or return to their country. The detainees tried to communicate their suffering by submitting official complaints to the relevant ambassador in the region, but without tangible results, despite the deterioration of their situation, especially with reports of some workers dying in mysterious circumstances during combat operations.

The statement issued by SAM stressed that the exploitation of Yemeni youth in the Russian-Ukrainian war is not just a violation of human rights, but is also part of a broader crisis in which international and regional interests overlap with the humanitarian tragedy, noting the need to take urgent legal measures to protect returning recruits and avoid the recurrence of such violations.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties called on the Yemeni government to take firm steps to prosecute and punish those involved in forced recruitment operations, by tightening national laws to protect young people from exploitation, enhancing community awareness about the dangers of forced recruitment, and providing the necessary support to returning recruits.

The organization also called on the international community to intensify monitoring of the outlets through which Yemenis are recruited, such as the Sultanate of Oman and Russia, and to open international investigations into these violations, and to pressure the United Nations and the relevant human rights councils to investigate violations related to the recruitment of mercenaries. It also called on international parties to strengthen protection mechanisms and provide humanitarian support to Yemenis, in a way that reduces the exploitation of their economic conditions in political and military agendas.