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Houthis accused of torturing prisoner, concealing death from family for years

Houthis accused of torturing prisoner, concealing death from family for years
The Yemeni organization’s officials have called for the creation of an international commission to investigate reports of abuse and fatalities among Houthi detainees. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 14 December 2022
Saeed Al-Batati

Houthis accused of torturing prisoner, concealing death from family for years

Houthis accused of torturing prisoner, concealing death from family for years
  • Omar Ahmed Al-Samae mercilessly tortured before being murdered
Updated 14 December 2022
Saeed Al-Batati

AL-MUKALLA: A Yemeni human rights group and relatives have accused the Iran-backed Houthis of torturing and killing a prisoner of war and then for years concealing his death from family.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms said that Omar Ahmed Al-Samae, a Yemeni government fighter seized from a battlefield in the province of Saada in 2018, was mercilessly tortured before being murdered. The militia group later told his family that he was being held in jail.

But when his parents traveled from Taiz city to Sanaa to see their son, the Houthis escorted them to 48 Model Hospital’s mortuary and showed them his body. It was then that the relatives spotted clear signs of torture.

A medical report showed that Al-Samae had passed away on Nov. 16, 2020. However, the Houthis continued to demand money from his family to make them believe he was still alive, the rights network claimed.

In a statement, the network said: “During this time, the Houthi jail superintendent repeatedly asked the victim’s family for expenditures for their son Omar, despite the fact that Omar had died two years ago as a consequence of electric shock torture.”

The Yemeni organization’s officials have called for the creation of an international commission to investigate reports of abuse and fatalities among Houthi detainees.

The rights group recently claimed that since late 2014, the Houthis had executed 147 inmates in detention facilities, while 282 others had died while imprisoned as a result of negligence. A further 98 detainees were believed to have died within days of being released from Houthi custody.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that three Yemeni journalists jailed by the Houthis could soon die after being placed in solitary confinement and tortured for weeks.

The freedom of information group said that the trio, among four journalists sentenced to death by a Houthi-run court two years ago, had been segregated from other prisoners and beaten, and it urged international mediators to assist in their release.

Jonathan Dagher, head of RSF’s Middle East desk, accused the Houthis of using the reporters as hostages to gain leverage in negotiations.

He said: “The Houthis are carrying out their death sentence slowly by torturing these journalists.

“We call on the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to do everything possible to secure their immediate release, and we call on the Houthis to follow through on their own proposal to allow UN representatives to visit these hostages and to urgently allow a medical team to come and examine them.”

Separately, in the northern province of Hajjah, an explosive-rigged drone on Monday hit a school in Hairan district, killing a child and wounding three more.

Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s information minister, accused the Houthis of intentionally attacking civilian institutions as the school was not located near a military position or a battlefield.

He said the attack reaffirmed the group’s “disregard for calls and efforts for calm and peace.”
 

Topics: Yemen Houthis

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul
Updated 9 min 54 sec ago
AP

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul
  • Embattled leader acknowledges divisions roiling the nation, announces delay for the legislation
  • Critics say the legislative package would hobble the country’s system of checks and balances
Updated 9 min 54 sec ago
AP

TEL AVIV: Israel’s political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began setting up negotiating teams Tuesday after he paused a controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis.
But compromise seemed elusive as the standoff remains over the fundamental issue of what kind of country Israel should be — and positions only appear to have hardened. Three months of demonstrations against the overhaul plan intensified this week and Israel’s main trade union declared a general strike, leading to chaos that shut down much of the country and threatened to paralyze the economy.
Netanyahu in a prime-time speech on Monday night acknowledged the divisions roiling the nation and announced a monthlong delay for the legislation.
He said he wanted “to avoid civil war” and would seek a compromise with political opponents. Netanyahu spoke after tens of thousands of people demonstrated outside the parliament building in Jerusalem.
His announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions that have fueled months of unrest. But it failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized Israelis. Netanyahu leads the most right-wing government in Israeli history and and his allies have vowed to enact the legislation.
A flurry of phone calls between rival opposition leaders followed Netanyahu’s announcement and lasted into Tuesday morning, with several working groups named as the protests subsided and Israel’s largest labor union called off its general strike.
“When there’s an opportunity to avoid civil war through dialogue, I, as prime minister, am taking a timeout for dialogue,” Netanyahu said in his speech. He vowed to reach a “broad consensus” during the summer session of parliament, which begins on April 30.
The country’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, said pausing the legislative blitz was “the right thing” and offered to oversee the negotiating teams. He spoke in separate phone calls with Netanyahu, opposition leader Yair Lapid and National Union Party Chairman Benny Gantz, his office said.
“This is the time for frank, serious and responsible discussion that will lead urgently to calming spirits and lowering the flames,” Herzog said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who has pushed for quick passage of the package, said it ““will pass,” though he would respect the delay. “No one will scare us,” he tweeted.
Critics say the legislative package would hobble the country’s system of checks and balances. Protesters vowed to intensify their demonstrations.
The overhaul would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.
Netanyahu has argued that the overhaul is needed to rein in a liberal and overly interventionist court of unelected judges. But his opponents say the package would concentrate too much power in the hands of Netanyahu’s allies. They also say that he has a conflict of interest as a criminal defendant.
Large swaths of Israeli society and governments around the world condemned the overhaul. Business leaders, top economists and former security chiefs have all come out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country toward an autocracy. Fighter pilots and military reservists have threatened not to report for duty, and the country’s currency, the shekel, has tumbled in value.
Tens of thousands of people, largely secular, middle-class Israelis, have regularly joined mass protests against it.
The situation escalated on Sunday night after Netanyahu abruptly fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had urged him to put his plan on hold, citing concerns about damage to the Israeli military.
Chanting “the country is on fire,” furious protesters lit bonfires on Tel Aviv’s main highway, closing the thoroughfare and many others throughout the country for hours. Demonstrators continued Monday outside the Knesset, or parliament, turning the streets surrounding the building and the Supreme Court into a roiling sea of blue-and-white Israeli flags dotted with rainbow Pride banners.
Departing flights from the main international airport were grounded, stranding tens of thousands of travelers. Large mall chains and universities closed their doors, and the union called for its 800,000 members to stop work in health care, transit, banking and other fields.
Israel’s Palestinian citizens have largely sat out the protests. Many say Israel’s democracy is tarnished by its military rule over their brethren in the West Bank and the discrimination they themselves face.
Even with the big issues standing, officials inside and outside Israel signaled relief that the pause had bought some time.
“I had a nice night of sleep last night, thank God,” US Ambassador Tom Nides said Tuesday on Israel Army Radio. “This morning I’m optimistic and I applaud the move.”

Topics: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel

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Photographer Platon and UN produce film to humanize refugees and shed light on their plight

Photographer Platon and UN produce film to humanize refugees and shed light on their plight
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

Photographer Platon and UN produce film to humanize refugees and shed light on their plight

Photographer Platon and UN produce film to humanize refugees and shed light on their plight
  • The 18-minute movie, ‘Portrait of a Stranger,’ features interviews with more than 20 refugees who fled conflicts and persecution in various parts of the world
  • It premiered at the Movies That Matter International Human Rights Film Festival, which is taking place this week in The Hague
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

THE HAGUE: British photographer and storyteller Platon and the UN Refugee Agency have unveiled a collaborative film and multimedia project that explores the plight of refugees.

“Portrait of a Stranger,” an 18-minute film that features interviews with more than 20 refugees who fled conflicts and persecution around the world, premiered at the Movies That Matter International Human Rights Film Festival, which is taking place this week in The Hague, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Its creators said it seeks to reframe the narratives surrounding people who are forced to flee their homes, while also examining the universal desire to be free, safe, respected and valued, and to belong.

The refugees who appear in the film represent a diverse range of ages, nationalities, ethnicities and personal circumstances. Audiences are asked to look beyond the differences between people and instead focus on what we have in common.

“Living in exile may be their life circumstance but it is not what defines them,” said Platon. “I hope the images and voices of the refugees in this film will help audiences focus on the shared humanity that unites us, rather than the barriers that divide us — not only for these particular refugees but for all people forced to flee around the world.”

In 2022, more than 100 million people were displaced, globally.

“This film and these images are powerful reminders of who refugees really are,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “They are people like your neighbor, your friend, your colleague, like you and me, each with our own personality, our hopes, our dreams.

“By amplifying the voices of refugees, the film offers an important reality check to counter the negative public discourse we often hear about people forced to flee.”

Topics: UNHCR

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US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks – White House

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks – White House
Updated 28 March 2023
Reuters

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks – White House

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks – White House
  • Syria’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the US air strikes
  • ‘There’s been no change in the US footprint in Syria as a result of what happened the last few days’
Updated 28 March 2023
Reuters

WASHINGTON: The United States will not back away from its nearly eight-year-old deployment to Syria, where it is battling the remnants of Daesh, despite attacks on US forces there last week by Iran-backed militia, the White House said on Monday.
A one-way attack drone struck a US base in Syria on March 23, killing an American contractor, injuring another and wounding five US troops.
That triggered US retaliatory air strikes and exchanges of fire that a Syrian war monitoring group said killed three Syrian troops, 11 Syrian fighters in pro-government militias and five non-Syrian fighters who were aligned with the government.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he was not aware of any additional attacks over the past 36 hours but cautioned, “We’re going to stay vigilant.”
Kirby also referred to President Joe Biden’s remarks on Friday, in which Biden warned Iran that the United States would act forcefully to protect Americans.
“There’s been no change in the US footprint in Syria as a result of what happened the last few days,” Kirby said, adding the mission against Daesh would continue.
“We’re not going to be deterred ... by these attacks from these militant groups.”
Syria’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned US strikes, saying Washington had lied about what was targeted and pledging to “end the American occupation” of its territory.
Iran’s foreign ministry also condemned the strikes, accusing US forces of targeting “civilian sites.”
US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration’s campaign against Daesh, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.
Prior to the latest spate of attacks, US troops in Syria had been attacked by Iranian-backed groups about 78 times since the beginning of 2021, according to the US military.
Iran has been a major backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad during Syria’s 12-year conflict.
Iran’s proxy militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi groups, hold sway in swathes of eastern, southern and northern Syria and in suburbs around the capital, Damascus.

 

Topics: Syria United States

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Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 
Updated 28 March 2023
Saeed Al-Batati

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 
  • International envoys criticize militia attacks and call for de-escalation
Updated 28 March 2023
Saeed Al-Batati

AL-MUKALLA, Yemen: Yemen’s presidential council has promised to confront the “terrorist” Houthis and called for resistance as international envoys criticized the militia’s renewed assault.

The council, chaired by Rashad Al-Alimi, said the latest Houthi attacks, primarily in Marib and Shabwa, demonstrated that the militia had no wish to end the war. It promised to thwart their advances and said it would help people in Houthi-controlled areas to resist their domination.

“The council urged the international community to recognize the gravity of this terrorist escalation, with the continuous smuggling of additional Iranian weaponry to militias, and the disastrous consequences for world peace and security,” the council was quoted by the SABA news agency as saying.

It did not specify how it would respond but pledged to “take all steps necessary to protect public interests and deter terrorist groups.”

The eight-man presidential council has faced increasing public pressure to launch counter-strikes since the militia attacked oil installations in Hadramout and Shabwa provinces last year.

The Houthis have made minor advances in Shabwa and Marib since early last week, targeting government forces with heavy weaponry and explosive drones.

The Houthis seized some villages in Marib’s Hareb and Shabwa’s Merkhah Al-Ulya districts before government troops received reinforcements and pushed them back.

The militia also attempted to assassinate Taiz Governor Nabeil Shamsan, targeting his car with artillery and missiles on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Western ambassadors in Yemen have condemned the renewed attacks and urged the Houthis to de-escalate and comply with efforts to end the war.

Richard Oppenheim, the British ambassador, said the militia must “cease their provocative actions and show genuine commitment to peace in Yemen.”

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador, said: “We condemn the recent Houthi escalation in Taiz and Marib, which led to fatalities, and express our condolences to the victims' families. 

“The Houthis must stop exacerbating Yemenis’ suffering and support a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”

Yemeni government officials say that the Houthi escalation coincided with the eighth anniversary of the Arab coalition’s military intervention to show that they had not been defeated.

“The Houthis took advantage of the anniversary of Decisive Storm and Ramadan to demonstrate their might,” a Yemeni government official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News.

Topics: Yemen Houthis

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2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
Updated 28 March 2023
Gobran Mohammed

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
  • New light shed on King Ramesses II and Ptolemaic era from 332 B.C. to 30 B.C.
  • These and other animals found may have been sacrificed to the gods
Updated 28 March 2023
Gobran Mohammed

CAIRO: The American archaeological mission affiliated with New York University, working in the area of ​​the temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos, southern Egypt, has uncovered more than 2,000 mummified ram heads dating back to the Ptolemaic era (332 B.C. to 30 B.C.), in addition to a huge building from the Sixth Dynasty.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, an institution entrusted with the protection of Egyptian heritage, said the find was important because it reveals more details about the history of the Temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos Sohag governorate and the surrounding area.

He said the mission also uncovered a number of mummified animals next to the heads of the rams, including ewes, dogs, wild goats, cows, deer and mongooses. They were found in one of the newly discovered storage rooms inside the northern area of the temple.

Sameh Iskandar, the head of the mission, said the mummified rams are thought to have been used as votive offerings in Abydos during the Ptolemaic period.

Meanwhile, the huge uncovered building, which dates back to the era of the Sixth Dynasty, is characterized by a unique architectural design. It is distinguished by huge, thick walls, which are about five meters wide.

Iskandar said the study of this building would contribute to the research being undertaken about the activities and architecture of the Old Kingdom in Abydos.

Mohamed Abdel Badei, head of the central department of Upper Egypt Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the mission also succeeded in uncovering parts of the northern wall of the edifice surrounding the temple and its appurtenances.

The team also uncovered fragments of statues, papyri, remains of ancient trees, clothing and leather shoes.

Abydos is one of the oldest ancient cities in Upper Egypt, and contains many important structures, including the Temple of Seti I and the Temple of Ramses II.

Topics: Egypt Abydos King Ramesses II

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