Rights Group Condemns Detention of Yemeni Human Rights Investigators by UAE-Backed Forces

Rights Group Condemns Detention of Yemeni Human Rights Investigators by UAE-Backed Forces
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the temporary detention of members of Yemen’s National Commission for the Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights (NCIAVHR) by forces affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), Jurist News reported.

The statement described the incident as unlawful and obstructive to human rights monitoring.

According to HRW, the incident occurred in Yemen’s Socotra governorate, where NCIAVHR investigators were visiting an unofficial detention facility as part of their mandate to document violations by all parties to the conflict. The investigators were reportedly detained for around three hours and released only after being warned not to return to the site. Later the same day, two former detainees were reportedly arrested by the same facility. One commission member described the centre as among the worst the body had encountered.

International organisations, including HRW and the Associated Press, have previously documented the existence of secret detention facilities operated by UAE forces and allied local groups in southern Yemen. The STC, formed in 2017, is a powerful political and military actor that has sought greater autonomy for southern Yemen and remains a key player in the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this month, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi ordered the closure of all unofficial detention centres and the release or transfer of detainees to lawful facilities, citing the need to restore state authority and respect human rights. The directive followed renewed scrutiny of STC practices.

Amnesty International has also warned that since 2023, the STC has imposed sweeping restrictions on civil society, contributing to increased self-censorship and pressure on independent organisations operating in areas under its control.