Armies of Liberation

Actually al-Khaiwani was kidnapped and beaten by security goons in August 2007 after “a story about prison conditions he wrote in the weekly Al-Nedaa”, RSF noted at the time. So I thought it would be apropos to republish this testimony from the dungeons of Yemeni prisons from children and adults arbitrarily arrested and tortured in relation to the Sa’ada War. Testimony colllected by Member of Parliament Ahmed Saif Hashid during prison visits

Complaints of children arrested with regard to Sa’ada war

In a violation for article 48 of the constitution and articles no. (70,11,13,72,73,76,77,172) from the law of court procedures. (The children mentioned below have been met by (The Parliamentary Committee on Rights and Freedoms) during the visit on 1/5/2007. The children have told us the following:

Nabil Mohamed Saleh, “I am 12 years old, the soldiers told me that the officer asks me to tell my younger brother to come, and we did come they caught us in their camp in Abs town for 2 weeks. They kept us in under ground floor, I told the soldier that my cousin is about to die, so he said let him die. After two weeks they transferred me to the political security in Al. Hudeida where we were imprisoned for 12 days. Until now we have been arrested since three months, we have been beaten by the soldiers and officers, we have been beaten with sticks while we were handcuffed. They beat us and lay us faces down”.

Hussein Ali Saleh al-Qu’ait, “I am 13 years old and I am imprisoned since three months, first two weeks in Abs then another two weeks in the political security, we have been beaten, handcuffed, they beat us as soon as we arrive before even interrogating us. I saw Qasem Al jahf fainted while his head bleeding. Some of us have been made naked and they took off all our clothes”.

Yehya Ahmed Al-Dobi, “I am 12 years old. They came to my school – Al Salam School – at Fowt. They asked me to answer the commander, they took me to him and the commander sent me to Al Khamis prison. I stayed to months there, after that they took me to the political security where I was exposed to the extremely hot sun for hours; they kept me hungry and thirsty. They arrested me in a cell. I have got now pimples on my body from the prison, and they refuse to give me any medicine”.

Abdulkhalik Mofarah Khursan, “I am 11 years old. They took me from my school – Al Taqwa School at al Fowt – the soldiers asked me to answer the commander telling me that I will go back to my family they took me to Khamees Maran prison. They kept me there for two months. Then they transferred me to political security prison and kept me there for three months where I was roasted under extremely hot sun for an hour and then they took me to a very crowded Isle; we were eighty-four persons there while there was no room for half of us. The cells in the political security are two-by-two meters. And I was transferred to the central prison in Hodaidah yesterday.”

Salah Ahmed Salah Afara, “I am 12 years old and I am in prison since about three months. They took me from my school – Marteer Ghathaya – at Khamees Marran. They asked me to answer to the police commander telling me that I will go back to my family soon. Then they jailed me in an underground room at Khameed Mrran where I was kept for two months; then they transferred me with the second batch to the security police where I was exposed to the sun and they left me four days on the necked floor. After that, they gave me a mattress and put me in a cell for a month. Then I was transferred to the central prison.”

Mohamed Yahya Saleh al-Kuaayd, “I am 14 years old from Marran. When they arrested me, they told me it is for security reasons. I am in prison since about three months. They took me from my house and to answer to the commander. Then they transferred me to Abs. A Colonel from Abs camp told us that he wants true information from us or he will kill us. We were four young boys. Then they transferred us to the political security where we were beaten very hard and broke my arm and treated it later. They kept us in closed cells where no fresh air and refused to allow using the lavatory. ”

Yahya Mohammed Kasem Gahaf, “I am 14 years old. They took me from my house and asked me to answer to the commander. They imprisoned me at Al-Gamima. They kept me there for nine days, two of them without food or drink. We were nine of us. After that they transferred us to Al-Khamees where the soldiers beat us by their rifles kicked us, they degraded us, they insulted our families. The soldiers told us that they will take us to Al-Hodaidah and … After that they transferred to the security police where I am now in prison for two months and half.”

Abdulrahim Quail Abdullah, “I am 14 years old. They took me from the street while I was going to the school – AlTadamoun School at AlMajazeen and asked me to answer to the commander for two hours and I will go back to school. Then they jailed me in an underground for a month. They opened the door every other day. They denied us pray. Police investigator said to me, “Tell the truth and I will let you go home.” but they transferred me to Abs and then to the political security. I am in prison now with my father, my uncle, and my brother. We have a big family that nobody taking care of. I am in prison since three months and what happened to my colleagues has happened to me.”

Zakarya Hussein Ahmad, “I am 14 years old I was jailed at Khamees Mrran where for 7 days then they transferred me to the political security, my leg is injured, a soldier shot it. I am in prison now with my father, and 3 of my uncles. We have a family that nobody is taking care of.”

Hammed Abdullah Jarallah, “I am 14 years old. They took me from my house in Marran, and asked me to answer to the commander of the police, and that I will leave soon. On arrival he ordered me to the sell. They kept me there for 20 days, after that they transferred mere to political security. What happened to my colleagues has happened to me.”

Adults Imprisoned Relating to the Saada War:

From the central prison in al Hudeida The cases mentioned below have been observed by us during the visit of the liberties and rights committee of the parliament on 1/5/2007. Although imprisoned in relation to Sa’ada war, none were accused or brought to court.

Khaled Taib Ghuthaia: “I was called upon by the commander of the brigade among many people; some have been taken from their house and their farms. He kept us for three months and some for two months and others for one month. We were in prison at Al Jamima School and Al Ghuthaia School and other schools. We saw them shelling the houses by tanks and artillery, and exploding the houses by dynamite. Then they took us handcuffed to abs camp and they kept us in an underground room where there is no fresh air. About twenty persons fainted. They denied us eating and drinking, after fifteen days in the underground room where there are people kept for more than two months, they transferred us to political security in al hudeida where we were beaten while handcuffed and later we were sent to the central jail of al hudeida. We were about eighty and there were bigger groups. The treatment in the central prison was good relatively because we were offended many times before. In the prison, we found elderly of eighty and seventy and sixty years old as well as ten years old children”

Abdullah Ali Hamza : “I am from Fawt district in sa’ada they called upon six of us from our houses. Mohamed Ahmed Jami’l hanish, Yahya Mohamed Ibrahim Al ajri, abdalah Mohamed Ibrahim Al ajri, Hasan Abdulrahman Alqasim, Abdulsalam Ibrahim Alajri. They told us to answer the commander when we arrived they told us that he is busy. Then, they jailed us handcuffed us and they treated us badly. The police commander (Alfirasi) asked me to give up my car so that he can use it, I refused, and after that they handcuffed us and sent us to the political security. I have been jailed now for more than two months”.

Salman Hamel min aal al Samiq: “I am from Al Dhaher district, I was driving some patients form my family to the clinic. When I reached to al madafen checking post I handed over my gun, and I continued my way. The soldiers told that they will hand back my rifle when I come back. On my return and while the patient females were in the car the soldiers detained me and transferred me to harad where they took everything I posses, blind folded me and since then I don’t know what happened to the females on my car. What they took was mu rifle, my dagger (Jambia ), my mobile phone, two ID cards, my car and sacks of wheat that I bought and kept on my car. I am detained since three months. No one of family has an idea regarding my whereabouts and I don’t know anything about them”.

Saleh Daifallah Almutairi: “I was called upon by the commander when he saw me he detained me in Aljamima and he denied me going to the bathroom. I stayed there for a month and twelve days then they transferred me to abs. Five men fainted in abs cells. They detained us for about fifteen days, then they transferred us to the political security chuckled. There we were beaten up, broke my hand, and later I was treated in the central prison. My detention just entered its fourth month”.

Ahmed Daifallah Salem Alhaqami: I was among the second Batch taken. They detained us at khamees Maraan for two months in under ground cells then they attacked us in the prison, and handcuffed us. My son came to me in the prison among others and told us has harvested our Qat farms and took away our flour and refused to any supplies to our house. After two months they transferred us to political security at midnight, there they roasted us for two hours under the hot sun. They beat up anyone that has a piece of cloth over his head. We remained twenty days in their custody in their under ground dungeon and never allowed to go out from it, some of us were infected. The food was a piece of bread in the morning and evening, very bad food indeed”.

Mohamed Yahyah Daifallah: “I was arrested on 16/2/2007 we were in a mission, the medical doctors at al khamees centre salah ahmed salem ridwan and my self, abdulkareem saleh dafshan came with us. Our official mission was to reicieve medicine from haradh for the centre. Upon return they took us from the checking point to almohsen camp where we were detained for fourteen days , then they transferred us handcuffed to the prison they looted the medicine which costs hundred and thirty thousand and another hundred and ten thousand in cash and two mobile phones that costs eighty thousand. We demanded their return upon our arrival to the political security centre but they said there is nothing. More than forty five days past and still the political security says it’s not there”.

Saleh Mahdi Salem : “I am from Nawar, age sixty. The commander called upon us we were detained upon arrival for a month and a half. While detained the exploded our houses, they took our sheep, I am still detained while my family have no place (homeless), they sent me to the political security where I suffered like my colleges”.

Hussein Saleh Mohamed Jra’an: “I am from Fowt area. We were called upon by the commander, ordered us to guard our mountains, we did and nothing happened not even one bullet. Then they said come to the commander he will give you money and supplies, instead they detained us for a full month at Alkhamees and another month in the political security”.

Ahmed Nasser Abdullah AlMahram I am from Saqeen district from Sada’a they took me from my farm along with my uncle and his two sons; nobody was left except the females with half sack of flour for supplies. They told me to answer to the commander, we answered to him. The soldiers took my (apple brand) blankets and my personal rifle that I use for watching the farm. After that they transferred us to Haidan and detained us for a month, then they transferred us khamis Marran where they detained us for two days without food, they didn’t feed us but beat us then they transferred us to the political security.

From the dungeons of Dammar central Prison, May 2007
Total prisoners 676 while jail capacity is 400 prisoners only. There is on reserve jail in Dammar. The health care budget of the prison diminished from 50000 YR to 42000YR only.

Prisoners without crime in the background of sa’da war

Hasan Mohamed abdulah al-Washali: “I am from Dammar, age 52, father of eight. Two security patrol cars came to my house and took me to the political security in Dammar on 23/2/2007 only after a week of arresting my son Ahmed Hasan Al washli on 16/2/2007. No charges were pressed. I was not transferred to the court. They said it was I prevention imprisonment. My health condition is bad. I have been taken in an ambulance to the main hospital of thamar several times. The medical records say that I suffer a heart blood circulation deficiency and a cardiac arrest”.

Mohamed ahmed alkhojah: “I am a teacher with a high diploma, married and the father of three. I was arrested in 16/2/2007 by the political security in Dammar and detained there; the conditions and the dealings in jail are bad. I have been detained for seven months by the political security without any charge or transfer to court. This is the second time that I have been taken from my home and from my children and relatives without any guilt or charge. I have lost my hearing ability last time and I was not allowed to get medical help. This time also I am suffering the same disease and I was not allowed to be treated. I was suffering also from a burn in my urine and a disease of joints”.

Ibrahim Ahmed Ahmed Aldailami: “Two police cars took me from my house in 16/2/2007 and detained me in the political security in Dammar. My mother is almost insane at home, my sick father died after my detention, his heart condition deteriorated severely. I tried while in jail to allow me to visit him but in vain. I wasn’t transferred to court and no charges were pressed despite me being in jail for 4 months. They say that I am in preventary custody on the background of sa’ada events which I am not related to in any way. I am in jail suffering pain in my joints due to lack of movements. I lost my job and my family’s life conditions became more difficult. Because of jail I had to stop the preparation of my master degree. In jail water is scarce, sanitary is bad, and no ventilations. Visits are not allowed except on Fridays”.

Ali Ahmed Saleh Alawsh: ” I am detained in the political security in thamar since 4 months without any guilt or charge. I suffer from psychological and neural stress due to the pressure and hardships in detention. I suffered several times from severe neural episodes. The food of the prison is not good for human consumption. We are always locked and pass urine in water cans.

Mohamed Hussein Ahmed Hatem: “I am detained since three months in the political security without charge they asked me to go to them in a telephone call. But it seems that the case is predetermined judgment without guilt or crime. My six children are all sick by light small pox while I am in jail. My wife had a major operation and I don’t know what her condition is. I am the eldest among my brothers, my profession is teaching, and my brothers one is a 94 war martyr and the other is with the government in sa’ada”.

Abdulkarim Ali Abdallah Musa: “I am from Dhuran Ans , a medical doctor. The security manager called me and asked me to answer to him. They took me suddenly and didn’t bother to inform my family. I am detained since three months in the political security in Dammar. I asked them to transfer me to the prosecution office and they refuse. My brother is an officer fighting with the government in Maran in the first and the second war of sa’ada while I am jailed in the political security in Dammar. They don’t allow us to read or write. I demand to be released or transferred to the general prosecution office. Our main demand is freedom. They just threw us here and left”.

Ali Ahmed Ali Fare: “I am jailed since four months in the political security in thamar. I don’t know what my charge is. They came to my house in military patrol cars and I don’t know why. They terrorized my children and female relatives I didn’t do anything wrong and no charges were pressed. I don’t know AlHothi except through the radio. The central security detained me on the order of the political security. I have two brothers fighting against alhoothi. Omar in the first armed brigade and mohsen with al amaliqa forces. My wife is sick, and suffered both breaks in her leg she was supposed to go under the knife since two months. I am sick in jail since 15 days. I suffer from pain in my chest and an infection in my right ear”.

Prepared by: Ahmed Saif Hashed
Member of Parliament and Member of the Rights and the Freedom in the parliament.
Publisher of Al “Mostakila” newspaper the chairman of the founding committee of change organization for defenders of freedom and rights.

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