Singer Yahya Sa'sa' reported being subjected to assault and robbery at gunpoint, with all his possessions confiscated while attending a wedding ceremony in the Ashmur area of Amran Governorate, a region under Houthi militia control. Sa'sa' detailed the incident in a video clip posted on his Facebook page. He emphasized that he was not accompanied by any musical instruments, such as an organ, nor a musical band, referencing the strict regulations imposed by the militia to prohibit artistic performances. Sa'sa' held the Houthi militia leadership, security and local authorities, as well as the region's sheikhs and dignitaries, fully responsible for the assault and the appropriation of his money and property without any legal justification or basis. The Houthi militia prohibits citizens from hiring singers, artists, and musical bands to perform at weddings. In recent years, they have conducted campaigns of assault, abduction, and imprisonment against many individuals under the guise of protecting what they term the "Imani identity." Conversely, they allocate significant space for their affiliated "zawamil" (chant) groups and impose exorbitant fees on citizens for attendance. |
