Condemnation Statement on the Crimes Committed by the Coalition of Aggression

The Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition of aggression continues to commit crimes against Yemen and the Yemenis. In a new crime that took place on 20 January 2022 Thursday evening, the Coalition targeted the Sa’dah Prison that contained more 2000 prisoners, adding a new crime to its criminal record and leading to the deaths and injury of more than 300 persons.

It is worth mentioning that this crime followed a previous crime committed in Al-Hudaydah Governorate in clear violation of the Stockholm Agreement, as warplanes from the Coalition targeted the building and towers of the Public Telecommunications facility and the International Internet Gate in an attempt to isolate Yemen so that the Coalition will be able to commit more war crimes and massacres against the Yemeni people. The crime has resulted into the killing and wounding more than 10 citizens, including children who were playing near the targeted area.

Over the last two days, the Coalition has committed more than 100 airstrikes in a repeated manner. It is worth mentioning that coalition warplanes continued to fly above the targeted scene to prevent rescuing teams from pulling out the victims, which can be seen as a crime in itself.     

It is worth mentioning that this crime has been committed at a time when the coalition continues to impose its blockade and prevent oil shipment from access into Yemen, which has increased the suffering of the Yemenis and led to the disruption of ambulances and means of transports and badly affected the operational ability of hospitals and medical centers amid the increase seen in the numbers of victims.  

Yemen Center for Human Rights condemns these crimes criminalized by international humanitarian law, international law, human rights law, and all international treaties and covenants, and affirms the right of the Yemeni people and the Yemeni government to self-defence and their right to stand up to the Coalition’s crimes that have been ongoing for 7 years. The Center also stands with the right of the Yemeni people to seek accountability for those responsible of such crimes.

We call upon the UN to condemn this escalation by the UAE and take an hounrable action, even a single action, against the crime of aggression committed against Yemen and put an end to the irresponsible attitude of the Security Council, which is an accomplice in the crime. The Center further holds the ICRC responsible for the targeting of the Sa’dah Governorate since it was the last entity that visited the prison, just a few days before being targeted, and calls on the ICRC to take all necessary measures to prevent any further targeting of any prisons it intends to visit in the future. 

We also call upon international and local judicial authorities to take their responsibility seriously, exercise their function at the local and international level in accordance with the UN in condemning those responsible for these crimes, and pass sentences upon those responsible to make sure that such crime will never go unpunished and that compensation will be delivered to the victims and Yemen due the impact caused by the aggression and blockade on the country.

We call upon all free people to condemn these continued crimes and violations and make every effort to put an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people and to put pressure on governments around the world to condemn these crimes against the Yemeni people.

By

Yemen Center for Human Rights
25 January 2022

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