What crime has my husband committed?!
On the third day of his detention, during the first visit from his wife, Naif Naji (a pseudonym, 28 years old) asked her to choose whether she wanted to remain his wife or get divorced. However, her response was, "I will wait for you for my whole life."
On March 10, 2017, Naif was arrested by the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) as he left the mosque after Friday prayers in Bani Al-Harith District of Amanat Al-Asimah, on the grounds of his affiliation with the Islah Party.
He was initially imprisoned in the Criminal Investigation Department prison in Sana'a for three months, before being transferred to the Security and Intelligence Service prison. In April 2021, during the month of Ramadan, he was transferred again to the Security and Intelligence Service prison in Shamlan.
Naif knew that whoever fell into the hands of the group would be stuck in their prisons for long. At the time of his detention, Naif was newly married, and he and his wife had just begun their life together, supporting each other in a family filled with affection. Little did they know that his political party affiliation would one day lead to him losing his freedom for many years.
As a result, Dalal (a pseudonym, 23 years old) found herself alone in the hospital, experiencing labor pains and caring for her newborn daughter, who had to be kept in an incubator for over a month. She named her daughter Inaya (a pseudonym), hoping that it would bring her detained husband some peace and comfort after enduring detention centers.Dalal then had not yet completed her secondary school education, and she did not know how she would cope with the difficulties of life alone.
Despite her weak parents staying with her at home for months to provide support, they are unable to fill the void left by Naif, who, if he were present, he would spare no effort in caring for them, serving them, and meeting their needs.All of these challenges and more were the reasons why Dalal remained strong to this day, despite finding herself suddenly taking on multiple roles as a father, mother, wife, breadwinner, and defender of her husband.
At one point, this even led to her being interrogated by the Security and Intelligence Service of the Ansar Allah group, because she had sent a letter to an official of the Service inquiring about the reasons for her husband's detention and when he would be released.The situation was frightening for her. Five officials from the Security and Intelligence Service took turns interrogating and reprimanding her.
Despite feeling afraid, she managed to control her emotions and answered their questions with the composure she could muster.
Her young age could not have prepared her for such a difficult situation. However, the hardships she endured, including the difficult moments she spent alone after her husband's detention, gave her strength to confront those human rights violators.
The memory of her husband and his courageous efforts to care for his family, as well as the sense of security he provided for them, became more vivid to her. She believed that all of these factors made it necessary for the interrogators to be the ones questioned, rather than herself. "Where is my husband? Why is he still being held in detention?" she asked.
Following her persistent efforts and repeated inquiries, Naif was eventually referred to the Specialized Criminal Prosecution for trial on charges that he was unaware of, towards the end of 2019. Despite this, Dalal believes that even the trial was merely an attempt by the detainers to legitimize her husband's continued detention.
During her recent visits, Naif confided in her that he no longer feared any verdict that the court might render, given that some of his fellow detainees had already been sentenced to death. Desperately, he explained to his wife and lawyer that he was being detained without knowing the crime he had supposedly committed, leaving him feeling unjustly punished.
Having spent the most important years of his life in prison, Naif has found hope only through his wife's unwavering visits. She constantly encourages him to remain patient and never lose hope, while he reciprocates with his own words of strength. On each visit, he encourages her to continue her education, so she has done.
Throughout the years of Naif's detention, Dalal not only completed her secondary school education but also obtained a nursing diploma. With this achievement, she wanted to make her husband happy. She constantly reminds him that life goes on and that there is always hope for him to one day be free and continue their journey together.
Additionally, on every visit, she would update him on her progress in life, keeping a glimmer of hope in his heart and reminding him not to give up. Her love for him served as a source of motivation whenever he felt helpless.
In 2018, when she went to visit him on the first day of the second Ramadan of his detention, Dalal was initially prevented from seeing her husband. Refusing to leave without seeing him, she stayed in front of the prison gate for hours. Her persistence and resistance left the authorities with no choice but to eventually allow her to visit him and provide him with the food that she had prepared with her own hands.Her husband was surprised by her boldness, as she knew nothing about the basics of life when he left her before his arrest.
However, Dalal realizes that although she is alone, she represents a whole army of perseverance and determination, waiting for the day when her husband will be free from jail. She believes that day will surely come.
