‘The Smell of Death’: a report on appalling crimes and violations committed in Houthi-run Al Saleh Detention

Republican Yemen

Abductees Mothers’ Association, a Civil Society Organization based in Yemen, has revealed an appalling report spotlighting numerous documented violations committed against civilian abductees in Al Saleh Detention in Taiz province.

The report, entitled ‘The Smell of Death’, said about 7 abductees have died. Some of them died inside Al Saleh Detention due to being subject to torture, while others died days after being released with deteriorating health conditions.

“As many as 956 abductees have been held in Al Saleh Detention, 60 of them are children,” the report indicated, noting that 714 abductees have been subject to physical torture, while 860 endured beating and mistreatment.  

The Association reiterated that it documented testimonies “with audio and videos” of released abductees whom the militia had physically tortured to get forced confessions out of them, as well as coercing them to sign statements on charges they did not commit.               

The report showed testimonies of many released abductees and some relatives to those who died while in Al Saleh Detention, located in Al Howban area, west of Taiz province.

One mother said: “When I went to receive the dead body of my son, they took me to a court and made me sign on papers I had no clue what was written on them, for I am an illiterate woman. Then I went to get his body and saw signs of torture around his eyes and blood on his mouth.”  

Nishwan Moqbel Saeed Saif, a car washer who was abducted by Houthis, recounted how he was abducted and tortured by Houthis.

“I was detained by the Houthi group for about a year and eight months. They detained me while I was heading to work,” 30-year-old Nishwan said.

He added that he was taken to Al Saleh Detention where he was locked in solitary confinement. According to Nishwan, he was accused of being an informer, an accusation proved to be baseless.

“During integration sessions, they blindfolded me and tortured me with electric shocks. They pulled out my fingernails and hit my body with a sharp tool. They tortured all over my body, even the private parts. It was so brutal that my testicles were swollen, so was my entire body,” the released abductee said.

Editing by Sami Almaqtari