Rights Group Launches Campaign for Release of Detained Aid Workers

A new advocacy campaign, "Outside Justice," has been launched by the PASS Foundation for Sustainable Communities, marking two years since the detention of several local and international organization staff by Houthi militias in areas under their control.

The foundation stated in a release that the detainees are being deprived of basic legal guarantees and constitutional rights afforded by Yemeni laws and international conventions. It highlighted that their continued detention without fair and transparent legal proceedings, and the denial of contact with their families and lawyers, constitutes a grave violation of the Yemeni constitution, national legislation, and international standards for protecting rights and freedoms.

The statement further detailed that the detainees and their families have endured severe humanitarian, psychological, and economic suffering over the past two years due to arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and the enforced disappearance of some individuals. Additionally, media campaigns have been employed to defame them and their families through accusations that have not undergone fair and public judicial processes.

The foundation affirmed its rejection of what it described as the "political and media exploitation" of the detainees' situation or their use as bargaining chips in conflict contexts, stating that such actions contradict the principles of neutrality in humanitarian and civil work and violate the dignity of those engaged in it.

It also emphasized that the continued detention of women working in the humanitarian and civil sectors represents a double violation of national laws and international conventions, in addition to contravening Yemeni social norms and values.

The foundation called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained organization staff, disclosure of the fate of those forcibly disappeared, an end to any arbitrary trials or procedures against them, and the facilitation of communication with their families and lawyers, along with a halt to defamation and incitement campaigns.

The foundation reiterated its appeal to community forces, tribal and social leaders, rights activists, media professionals, and civil society organizations to show solidarity with the cause, work to protect humanitarian and civil work from targeting and politicization, and safeguard the dignity of its male and female workers.