A Houthi court has sentenced nine Yemeni men to death in a mass trial based on “dubious” charges of sodomy last March, which follows after the radical Shia Islamist group sentenced 13 men to death for homosexuality in February.
Nine men sentenced to death by 'crucifixion and stoning' for alleged sodomy by Houthi courthttps://t.co/CgoouUVQ3r
— PinkNews (@PinkNews) March 30, 2024
The trial allegedly occurred on January 23rd, when 32 men were given harsh sentences. Nine of them were given death sentences that included crucifixion and stoning, while 23 were given prison sentences for periods of up to ten years. Three of these men were also sentenced to public flogging.
Niku Jafarnia, Human Rights Watch’s researcher for Yemen and Bahrain, described the mass trial by the Houthis as an “abhorrent disregard for the rule of law.”
“The Houthis are handing down death sentences and subjecting men to public mistreatment without a semblance of due process,” Jafarnia said. “The Houthis are using these cruel measures to distract from their failure to govern and provide people in their territories with basic needs.”
No mass protests, I wonder why?
— Nigel Howard (@nigelhowardpics) April 1, 2024
“To cover up their brutality, Houthis are charging people with immoral acts, especially for those who oppose them,” Jafarnia added. “The Houthis should immediately end the use of the death penalty and other forms of cruel and degrading punishments and provide due process for those charged.”
The death sentences were handed down in Ibb, an area controlled by the Houthi rebels, with Jafarnia saying that while the “world is busy watching their attacks in the Red Sea,” the Houthis “are ramping up their abuses at home.”
Human Rights Watch reviewed the official indictment documents against the men issued by the Houthi court, videos of the court proceedings posted on social media, and interviewed a lawyer with knowledge of the case.
B-But I was told these guys were progressive anticolonialists...
— Oliver (writer of 'Komos & Goldie') (@OliverGoldie1) March 30, 2024
The human rights organization found there were violations of Yemen’s due process, including police officers failing to provide arrest warrants and unlawfully confiscating and searching the men’s phones. The lawyer also questioned whether the men charged with the crimes had access to legal counsel.
Officially known as Ansar Allah, the Islamist political and military organization emerged in Yemen in the 1990s and controls large parts of the country, including Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Houthis are known for their human rights violations, including persecution of LGBTQIA+ community members using arbitrary arrests, severe punishments, and even sexual violence.
