Millions of Yemenis continue to endure the long-lasting consequences of the devastating ongoing conflict amid the chronic failure of parties to the conflict to provide justice and redress for victims of crimes under international law and human rights violations, said Amnesty International on the ninth anniversary of the war.
The organization renews its call on the international community to establish an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate and publicly report on the most serious violations and abuses of international law committed over the past nine years as well as collecting and preserving evidence for future criminal prosecution and reparation claims.
“Although a de facto ceasefire has resulted in a decline in hostilities compared to previous years, parties to the conflict in Yemen continue to commit unlawful attacks and killings with impunity and to restrict the movement and delivery of aid,” said Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Grazia Careccia.
“Yemen is already facing one of the worst ongoing humanitarian crises in the world and the recent military escalation in the country, following US and UK air strikes on Huthi targets, risks worsening an already grave situation for the civilian population.”
Amnesty International’s ongoing documentation illustrates how Yemen’s climate of widespread impunity has emboldened perpetrators of commit human rights violations including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearance, torture, and unfair trials against human rights defenders, journalists, or anyone perceived as an opponent or a critic to the different authorities on the ground.
“An independent international accountability mechanism that opens pathways to criminal accountability and provides effective redress to victims is crucial for ending the cycle of impunity,” said Grazia Careccia.
“By continuing to overlook accountability, the international community is not only failing victims in Yemen but also fuelling a general climate of impunity in which crimes under international law will see no decline in Yemen and beyond.”
According to Amnesty International, On 26 July 2023, over 40 Yemeni civil society organizations and victims and survivor associations launched the Yemen Declaration for Justice and Reconciliation. The declaration emphasizes the need for a post-conflict justice process to address the grievances of the Yemeni people.