Houthi Authorities Continue Undermining Freedom of Movement in Violation of Law and Constitution
Mwatana for Human Rights reported that the Ansar Allah (Houthi) authorities have, for the second time, prohibited the chairperson of the organization, Radhya Al-Mutawakel, and her Vice, Abdulrasheed Al-Faqih, from traveling via Sana’a International Airport on Friday morning, without any legal justification. Previously, on Saturday, September 30, 2023, the same authorities had barred the organization's Chairperson, her Vice, and three team members from traveling through the airport, again without legal grounds.
The organization emphasized that freedom of movement is a fundamental right guaranteed to all citizens and that depriving individuals of this right constitutes a crime punishable by law. The recent travel ban imposed on the organization’s leadership is part of a broader pattern of violations by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group targeting freedom of movement, whether through Sana’a International Airport, which has been partially open for months, or overland routes connecting various Yemeni regions, all in violation of the Yemeni constitution, its laws, and international treaties.
Mwatana highlighted that hundreds of Yemenis are forced to endure long, dangerous journeys to reach Aden and Seiyun airports, facing hardship and risk, to avoid the arbitrary restrictions imposed by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, which continue to undermine the right to free movement, in breach of the Yemeni constitution and the country's applicable laws and regulations.
The organization reiterated its call for the full reopening of Sana’a International Airport and all Yemeni airports, which remain partially operational. It also urged the Saudi/UAE-led coalition to lift all restrictions on Yemeni airports and called on the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group to remove all arbitrary restrictions on Yemenis' travel through Sana’a Airport and the checkpoints they control across the country’s roads.
In its statement, Mwatana noted that the recent travel ban imposed on its leadership is part of a broader campaign targeting the organization, its management, and staff. Notable incidents include the unlawful prevention of the organization's Chairperson, Radhya Al-Mutawakel, her Deputy, Abdulrasheed Al-Faqih, and three team members from traveling via Sana’a International Airport on September 30, 2023; the arbitrary detention of Al-Mutawakel and Al-Faqih by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition at Seiyun Airport in eastern Yemen on June 18, 2018; and the detention of Al-Faqih by forces affiliated with the internationally recognized government and the Islah Party at the Al-Falaj checkpoint in Marib on June 14, 2018, while he was traveling to Seiyun Airport with the organization’s Chairperson. Additionally, Al-Faqih was arbitrarily detained by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group at Sana’a International Airport on March 4, 2017, where his passport was confiscated, and he was barred from traveling after returning from Amman, Jordan, where he had participated in an international conference in solidarity with Yemeni journalists, organized by the International Federation of Journalists, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, and several international organizations.
In a previous statement published on March 8, 2022, Mwatana documented the arbitrary restrictions imposed by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) checkpoints along the roads connecting Yemeni provinces, specifically targeting women’s movement, as well as a series of violations against women’s presence in public spaces.
Mwatana reaffirmed its steadfast opposition to violations of freedom of movement committed by all parties to the conflict, whether at partially functional airports or on overland routes between Yemeni provinces. These include incidents of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, travel bans, mistreatment, extortion, intimidation, and discrimination based on regional or ethnic origins, gender, or any other basis.
Moreover, the organization called on the international community engaged in efforts to end the war to compel the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, the Southern Transitional Council, forces affiliated with the Islah Party, the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, and all armed formations to provide guarantees ensuring freedom of movement for all Yemenis, including human rights defenders, civil society workers, and international humanitarian organizations and agencies.
For more on the violations of freedom of movement by the parties to the war, please see:
- Yemen: How the War Has Lengthened Our Journeys (Blog)
- Saudi-led Coalition’s Closure of Ports Cuts the Remaining Life Artery (Press Release)
- Two options for patients: dying on their beds or on the way to Seiyun or Aden (Blog)
- Bab al-Falaj Checkpoint… When your Surname Is a Crime (Blog)
