“Interactive dialogue with: Group of Eminent International Experts on the human rights situation in Yemen A/HRC/45/6

Agenda Item 2: Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General"

Statement by: Association Maonah for Human Rights and Immigration

29 September 2020

Thank you, President.

We thank the Group of Experts on Yemen for their report and share their concern regarding the lack of means and capacity of the Yemeni justice system to conduct prosecutions in accordance with international human rights law.

Ma’onah Association and Geneva International Centre for Justice support the Group’s call for the referral of all international crimes committed in Yemen to the International Criminal Court.

In this regard, we believe that the case should include all crimes perpetrated by the Houthi militia, including the assassination of the president, Mr. Saleh, in 2017, as well as the 2011 terrorist attack on the mosque of the presidential palace, which resulted in the death and injury of countless innocent civilians.

Besides this, we wish to highlight that five terrorists arrested following this attack were later released and protected by the Houthi militia, while their cases were still under investigation. Not only does this amount to a violation of the Security Council Resolution number 2014, but it also constitutes a blatant violation of the principle of judicial independence.

Lastly, the Houthi crimes against civilians, including attacks on media offices, healthcare facilities, as well as schools and educational institutions, must not go unnoticed and all of their perpetrators must be held accountable. Millions of Yemeni people, who have been and continue to be victims of the Houthi militia, deserve justice.

I thank you.

Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice