Civil Society Statement on Arbitrary Arrests Related to Sa’ada War
A statement by the meeting in solidarity with the prisoners of Sa’da war
On Sunday, 5 October, 2008, a solidarity meeting with the families of detainees of Sa’da war at the headquarters of Arab Sisters Forum was held. The meeting was attended by the families of the detainees and a number of organizations, activists and journalists, the following statement was issued,
The solidarity meeting and the civil society organizations continued the intense activity made by the families of prisoners and of coercively-hidden people of Sa’da war, praising its continued efforts towards their issues. The organizations see that departure of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr, which coincided with releasing of a number of detainees, was optimistic to families of the detainees for it was supposed to set them free, which exacerbated their suffering especially that they had recently made a lot of efforts and staged several sit-ins last of which was at Eid day in front of Alsaleh Mosque while the President was present to do Eid prayer.
Those arrested in connection with war Sa’da had not been taken due to criminal charges or acts of violence, rather due to discriminating racial attitude depending on incitement against a specific group of people because of their religious beliefs, which is indicative of the fact that the power is considering the return of the war, which worry the organizations and the community.
The meeting urged the community to stand against arbitrary detention, coercive hiding and to urgently react for the release of prisoners and stand against all forms of oppression and discrimination, and calls upon the international community to shoulder its responsibility and work for the release of all detainees in the secretariat of the capital, Hajja, Sa’da, Hodeidah, Aden, Karesh and others.
The meeting formed a coordinating and solidarity-based body between civil society organizations and families of the detainees in order to jointly work on internal and international framework.
Meeting in solidarity with the prisoners of Sa’da war
Yemen Rights and Freedom Defence ORG.
Hewaar Forum
Arab Sisters Forum
Hood ORG.
Political Development Forum
Yemen Observatory for HR
Altagheer Rights and Freedom Defence ORG.
Female Journalists without Chains
Social Democratic Forum
Committee of torture fighting
