Protest in Al Bayda Demands Release of Detainees Held by Houthis

Residents of Al Bayda's Al Qurayshiah district held a large protest on Saturday, demanding the immediate release of four individuals detained by Houthi militia forces.

Protesters, representing the "Al Zouba and Waqifa" tribe, stated that the Houthi militia continues to arbitrarily detain members of their tribe. They highlighted that some detainees have undergone unlawful trials, with sentences that have already expired, yet the Houthi-affiliated "Security and Intelligence Agency" refuses to release them, disregarding issued judicial orders.

Among the detainees are individuals who surrendered themselves approximately seven years ago to prevent bloodshed. Despite court orders for their release, the militia has ignored them. The list includes Ghazi Abdulrab Al Zoubi and Abdulmutalib Ali Al Zoubi, who surrendered as "hostages" in mid-March 2018 through tribal mediators to de-escalate a Houthi siege on Al Zouba village. Although their sentences from sham trials have ended, Houthi security leadership insists on their continued arbitrary detention.

The list also includes Abdullah Amer Al Zoubi and Anwar Al Zoubi, who were reportedly abducted by militia elements from public roads and imprisoned without formal charges. The crisis originated in mid-March 2018 when the Houthi militia imposed a strict siege on Al Zouba village in Al Qurayshiah district, attempting to seize control. Residents resisted the campaign, thwarting the militia's efforts to storm the village.

The "Al Zouba and Waqifa" tribe is renewing its appeal to human rights organizations and local authorities to pressure for the resolution of this humanitarian issue. They are demanding that the Houthi militia comply with final judicial rulings for the immediate release of the detainees and cease the ongoing abuses against their kin.