Houthis Arrest 5 Women in Sana’a

(Republican Yemen) ^___ The Iran-backed Houthi militia arbitrary arrested 5 women on Sunday in the rebel-held capital Sana’a for wearing abayas that are classified to be banned by the rebels.

The abaya “cloak”, sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a black robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world, especially in Yemen and the Gulf countries.

According to Almasdar Online, Houthi-affiliated female squads known as Zainabiat fanned out in Sana’a’s streets to arrest women wearing colourful abayas or abayas with lace and arrested five women.

Afrah Nasser, a researcher in the Yemeni affairs and a member of Human Rights Watch posted a video on Twitter showing Houthis burning abayas in Sana’a.

“Houthis didn’t only abduct, threaten, harass & accuse women of prostitution, promiscuity & immortality using derogatory terms but also are now raiding women’s abaya stores & burning colorful abayas,” she tweeted.

Last week, the militia announced the ban of specific kinds of abayas saying those dresses “delay victory.”