Houthi rebels authorities have detained dozens of political opponents since July 2025, including the leaders of several political parties in Yemen, some of which may amount to enforced disappearances, Human Rights Watch (WHO) reported recently.
“Rather than addressing the urgent needs of Yemenis, the Houthis seem to be detaining anyone they deem a threat to their movement,” said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at HRW.
The most recent detentions are part of a wider campaign over the last year and a half, targeting members of civil society, United Nations and nongovernmental organization staff, business people, and even people within the Houthi authorities.
Human Rights Watch spoke to 13 people, including relatives of the detainees, journalists, and members of civil society who have been following the cases, and also reviewed documents related to the detentions, including statements made by political parties, official indictments, and lists of detainees.
The Houthis have been detaining individuals affiliated with political opposition parties since their takeover of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in 2014.
Human Rights Watch has previously documented cases of Houthis detaining and forcibly disappearing dozens of people due to their political affiliation, including in April 2020, when they detained 25 Islah party members from Dhamar.
In their 2025 report, the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen stated that “The [Houthis’] Judiciary has been weaponized to suppress dissent and free expression.” They further stated that “[t]he Specialized Criminal Prosecution Office in Sana’a has charged hundreds of individuals with treason and espionage.” They said that “detainees are often not shown arrest warrants, not presented with formal charges, and denied legal counsel and access to evidence. Many are held for prolonged periods without trial or judicial oversight.”
Human Rights Watch and other groups, including the former UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen, have documented the Houthis’ use of torture to obtain information or confessions.
“The Houthis should immediately release all those arbitrarily detained solely for their political affiliations,” Jafarnia said. They should also free others arbitrarily detained, including those held for commemorating the September 26 revolution, journalists, lawyers, and dozens of United Nations and civil society staff.”