Articles for Yemen

Every year, December 10th serves as a global reminder of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—a benchmark that delineates the rights and freedoms owed to every individual as a human being in our world. On this International Human Rights Day, marked as the first global proclamation criminalizing all violations against civilians, the emphasis is placed on preserving their dignity and upholding their rights, as articulated in Article 3 of the Declaration “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person”.

Today, Alkarama joined 51 international and Yemeni organisations working on freedom of opinion, expression and human rights in Yemen in calling for the establishment of a joint international and local independent commission to investigate crimes committed against journalists by all parties to the conflict in the country.

Alkarama, 41 international and local organizations concerned with freedom of opinion and expression and human rights, condemned the blocking and censorship of the Internet in Yemen and stressed the need for immediate action to end the disturbing violations of digital freedoms, the right of access to information and the right to demonstrate and protest. 

On 11 October 2023, Alkarama submitted its contribution on the human rights situation in Yemen in view of its next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the Human Rights Council scheduled between 29 April and 10 May 2024. 

Alkarama shares the joy of the families of four Yemeni journalists following their release after eight years of suffering and ill-treatment in Houthi prisons, under the terms of a prisoner and abductee exchange agreement under the auspices of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. However, this does not exempt the perpetrators of violations from their responsibility. 

Alkarama addressed UN human rights experts regarding the case of Yemeni politician and Islah party leader Mohammed QAHTAN, who disappeared after his arrest at his home in Sana'a.

Alkarama, SAM - a non-governmental organization (NGO) - and other Yemeni and international human rights organizations have issued an urgent appeal to the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council to intervene to end the political trials of detainees in Yemen.

On 23 December 2022, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Torture regarding the situation of Tawfiq Al Mansoori, Harith HAMID and Abdul Khaleq AMRAN, Yemeni journalists who were subjected to torture while in detention in the Central Security Camp prison in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a.

International Human Rights Day, 10 December, commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with it the introduction of common human rights standards “for all peoples and all nations”. This day serves also as a stark reminder that, whenever and wherever humanity's values are abandoned, humanity is at greater risk. Yet, today, the people of Yemen have been abandoned by the international community.

As civil society organizations from Yemen and around the world we urge United Nations (UN) member states to work toward the establishment of an independent international criminally focused investigative mechanism on Yemen in the coming period, including at the upcoming 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).