Yemeni Govt Urges Int'l Community to Protect Women from Houthi Oppression
Arab World
Aden – Ali Rabee
The Yemeni government called on the international community and human rights organizations to protect women from the oppression of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in the areas under the group’s control. Recently, Houthis arrested artist and model Entisar al-Hammadi and subjected her, along with a number of her friends, to humiliation and shame. The group’s gunmen kidnapped Hammadi, who was born to a Yemeni father and an Ethiopian mother, along with her friends in Sanaa. They were taken for interrogation and charged with drug trafficking and prostitution. Hammadi’s kidnapping sparked local and international outrage amid calls for the Houthis to release her immediately. Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani called on the international community and human and women’s rights organizations to take a firm stance against the Houthi militia’s abuse of Yemeni women. Eryani urged the international community to pressure the militia to stop the unprecedented violations and immediately release all the kidnapped women. The Minister indicated that the kidnapping and enforced disappearance of Hammadi for three months, along with forcing her to sign confessions and trying to pressure her into prostitution under the pretext of serving the country, confirms that Houthis’ crimes against Yemeni women and attempts to sexually exploit them are part of a systematic behavior. Yemeni human rights activists in Sanaa reported a few days ago that members of the Iran-backed militia are trying to force the young artist into prostitution for the benefit of the group in exchange for releasing her. Dozens of jurists and activists issued a statement stressing the need to release Hammadi, who they visited in the central prison last Monday. They also expressed their solidarity with her lawyer Khaled al-Kamal who is receiving several threats for defending his client. The statement confirmed that Hammadi and her friends were arrested without a formal charge, and she was only carrying her handbag and phone. The statement, which was signed by politicians, lawyers, and human rights activists, stated that Hammadi “rejected an offer to work” with the Houthis, without referring to the nature of this work. However, her visitors, including Judge Abdul-Wahhab Qatran, said that she was asked to become a prostitute for the group’s benefit. In a lengthy Facebook post, Qatran indicated that Hammadi reported the oppression, abuse, and injustice she was subjected to, and a number of fabricated charges against her. She was accused of drug possession and prostitution, without evidence, stressing that the militias denied her rights in a fair trial. The group also tried to use Hammadi for prostitution, claiming it is permissible for the sake of serving the country, according to the judge. Houthi militias dismissed the judge investigating Hammadi’s case after he demanded her release, and they threatened her defense lawyer aiming to force him to withdraw from the case.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2998036/yemeni-govt-urges-intl-community-protect-women-houthi-oppression
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