Witness Testimony From the Dungeons of Yemeni Prisons
Complaints of children arrested with regard to Sa’ada war
Jawa Exclusive
In a violation for article 48 of the constitution and articles No. (70,11,13,72,73,76,77,172) from the law of court procedures. (ed- the children are imprisoned because they are Shiites.) The children mentioned below have been met by (The Parliamentary Committee on Rights and Freedoms) during the visit on 1/5/2007. The children have told us the following: Nabil Mohamed Saleh, “I am 12 years old, the soldiers told me that the officer asks me to tell my younger brother to come, and we did come they caught us in their camp in Abs town for 2 weeks. They kept us in under ground floor, I told the soldier that my cousin is about to die, so he said let him die. After two weeks they transferred me to the political security in Al. Hudeida where we were imprisoned for 12 days. Until now we have been arrested since three months, we have been beaten by the soldiers and officers, we have been beaten with sticks while we were handcuffed. They beat us and lay us faces down”.
Hussein Ali Saleh al-Qu’ait, “I am 13 years old and I am imprisoned since three months, first two weeks in Abs then another two weeks in the political security, we have been beaten, handcuffed, they beat us as soon as we arrive before even interrogating us. I saw Qasem Al jahf fainted while his head bleeding. Some of us have been made naked and they took off all our clothes”.
Yehya Ahmed Al-Dobi, “I am 12 years old. They came to my school – Al Salam School – at Fowt. They asked me to answer the commander, they took me to him and the commander sent me to Al Khamis prison. I stayed to months there, after that they took me to the political security where I was exposed to the extremely hot sun for hours; they kept me hungry and thirsty. They arrested me in a cell. I have got now pimples on my body from the prison, and they refuse to give me any medicine”.
Abdulkhalik Mofarah Khursan, “I am 11 years old. They took me from my school- Al Taqwa School at al Fowt- the soldiers asked me to answer the commander telling me that I will go back to my family they took me to Khamees Maran prison. They kept me there for two months. Then they transferred me to political security prison and kept me there for three months where I was roasted under extremely hot sun for an hour and then they took me to a very crowded Isle; we were eighty-four persons there while there was no room for half of us. The cells in the political security are two-by-two meters. And I was transferred to the central prison in Hodaidah yesterday.”
Salah Ahmed Salah Afara, “I am 12 years old and I am in prison since about three months. They took me from my school – Marteer Ghathaya – at Khamees Marran. They asked me to answer to the police commander telling me that I will go back to my family soon. Then they jailed me in an underground room at Khameed Mrran where I was kept for two months; then they transferred me with the second batch to the security police where I was exposed to the sun and they left me four days on the necked floor. After that, they gave me a mattress and put me in a cell for a month. Then I was transferred to the central prison.”
Mohamed Yahya Saleh al-Kuaayd, “I am 14 years old from Marran. When they arrested me, they told me it is for security reasons. I am in prison since about three months. They took me from my house and to answer to the commander. Then they transferred me to Abs. A Colonel from Abs camp told us that he wants true information from us or he will kill us. We were four young boys. Then they transferred us to the political security where we were beaten very hard and broke my arm and treated it later. They kept us in closed cells where no fresh air and refused to allow using the lavatory. “
Yahya Mohammed Kasem Gahaf, “I am 14 years old. They took me from my house and asked me to answer to the commander. They imprisoned me at Al-Gamima. They kept me there for nine days, two of them without food or drink. We were nine of us. After that they transferred us to Al-Khamees where the soldiers beat us by their rifles kicked us, they degraded us, they insulted our families. The soldiers told us that they will take us to Al-Hodaidah and … After that they transferred to the security police where I am now in prison for two months and half.”
Abdulrahim Quail Abdullah, “I am 14 years old. They took me from the street while I was going to the school – AlTadamoun School at AlMajazeen and asked me to answer to the commander for two hours and I will go back to school. Then they jailed me in an underground for a month. They opened the door every other day. They denied us pray. Police investigator said to me, “Tell the truth and I will let you go home.” but they transferred me to Abs and then to the political security. I am in prison now with my father, my uncle, and my brother. We have a big family that nobody taking care of. I am in prison since three months and what happened to my colleagues has happened to me.”
Zakarya Hussein Ahmad, “I am 14 years old I was jailed at Khamees Mrran where for 7 days then they transferred me to the political security, my leg is injured, a soldier shot it. I am in prison now with my father, and 3 of my uncles. We have a family that nobody is taking care of.”
Hammed Abdullah Jarallah, “I am 14 years old. They took me from my house in Marran, and asked me to answer to the commander of the police, and that I will leave soon. On arrival he ordered me to the sell. They kept me there for 20 days, after that they transferred mere to political security. What happened to my colleagues has happened to me.”
I started with the kids to get your attention. If you can stand it, testimony below the fold includes:
-When they execute you, they don’t allow your family to visit.
-The judge sentenced me to be imprisoned and stoned till death.
-Rice even a cock can’t eat.
-When you go to them, they tell you the nurse did not come.
-The coroner says that I am a virgin.
-Arrested without any charge or committing any crime.
-Hot, crowded and full of disease.
-Sentenced with four years and jailed eight years.
-My opponents are torturing me.
-He raped me and denied it and two years without a verdict.
-They put an electrical cable on my annus.
-While I was hung, they used black cable.
From Dammar center of Investigation, a torture complaint
“My name is Ali Mohammed Ali Nasser. I was beaten by the police of Investigation upon my arrival to prison and remains are still on my back. I have been here for ten days. They put an electrical cable on my annus. They still torture me to force me into confession”
“My name is Yousif Mohamed Nasser AL-Haimy. I have been here for eleven days with a charge of stealing a mobile. They did not refer me to the court of law, rather, they beat me on before-the-past Wednesday, smacked me, hung me on a piece of Iron. While I was hung, they used black cable. My hands are still swollen, so are my feet and my face”.
Mohamed Ali Mohsen from Aden – Al Shikg Othman – is imprisoned in the dungeons of the political security since one year and half, he was accused that he wrote a letter to the president of the republic regarding the deteriorated conditions and corruption in the political security and he is still imprisoned. A memo from the general prosecutor based on a plea from the family of the imprisoned, demanded that the president of the political security should either release him or transfer him to the prosecution authority, but the political security proved once again that he is above the law - this case was recorded on 26/9/2007.
From the central prison in al Hudeida The cases mentioned below have been observed by us during the visit of the liberties and rights committee of the parliament on 1/5/2007. Although imprisoned in relation to Sa’ada war, none were accused or brought to court.
Khaled Taib Ghuthaia: “I was called upon by the commander of the brigade among many people; some have been taken from their house and their farms. He kept us for three months and some for two months and others for one month. We were in prison at Al Jamima School and Al Ghuthaia School and other schools. We saw them shelling the houses by tanks and artillery, and exploding the houses by dynamite. Then they took us handcuffed to abs camp and they kept us in an underground room where there is no fresh air. About twenty persons fainted. They denied us eating and drinking, after fifteen days in the underground room where there are people kept for more than two months, they transferred us to political security in al hudeida where we were beaten while handcuffed and later we were sent to the central jail of al hudeida. We were about eighty and there were bigger groups. The treatment in the central prison was good relatively because we were offended many times before. In the prison, we found elderly of eighty and seventy and sixty years old as well as ten years old children”
Abdullah Ali Hamza : “I am from Fawt district in sa’ada they called upon six of us from our houses. Mohamed Ahmed Jami’l hanish, Yahya Mohamed Ibrahim Al ajri, abdalah Mohamed Ibrahim Al ajri, Hasan Abdulrahman Alqasim, Abdulsalam Ibrahim Alajri. They told us to answer the commander when we arrived they told us that he is busy. Then, they jailed us handcuffed us and they treated us badly. The police commander (Alfirasi) asked me to give up my car so that he can use it, I refused, and after that they handcuffed us and sent us to the political security. I have been jailed now for more than two months”.
Salman Hamel min aal al Samiq: “I am from Al Dhaher district, I was driving some patients form my family to the clinic. When I reached to al madafen checking post I handed over my gun, and I continued my way. The soldiers told that they will hand back my rifle when I come back. On my return and while the patient females were in the car the soldiers detained me and transferred me to harad where they took everything I posses, blind folded me and since then I don’t know what happened to the females on my car. What they took was mu rifle, my dagger (Jambia ), my mobile phone, two ID cards, my car and sacks of wheat that I bought and kept on my car. I am detained since three months. No one of family has an idea regarding my whereabouts and I don’t know anything about them”.
Saleh Daifallah Almutairi: “I was called upon by the commander when he saw me he detained me in Aljamima and he denied me going to the bathroom. I stayed there for a month and twelve days then they transferred me to abs. Five men fainted in abs cells. They detained us for about fifteen days, then they transferred us to the political security chuckled. There we were beaten up, broke my hand, and later I was treated in the central prison. My detention just entered its fourth month”.
Ahmed Daifallah Salem Alhaqami: I was among the second Batch taken. They detained us at khamees Maraan for two months in under ground cells then they attacked us in the prison, and handcuffed us. My son came to me in the prison among others and told us has harvested our Qat farms and took away our flour and refused to any supplies to our house. After two months they transferred us to political security at midnight, there they roasted us for two hours under the hot sun. They beat up anyone that has a piece of cloth over his head. We remained twenty days in their custody in their under ground dungeon and never allowed to go out from it, some of us were infected. The food was a piece of bread in the morning and evening, very bad food indeed”.
Mohamed Yahyah Daifallah: “I was arrested on 16/2/2007 we were in a mission, the medical doctors at al khamees centre salah ahmed salem ridwan and my self, abdulkareem saleh dafshan came with us. Our official mission was to reicieve medicine from haradh for the centre. Upon return they took us from the checking point to almohsen camp where we were detained for fourteen days , then they transferred us handcuffed to the prison they looted the medicine which costs hundred and thirty thousand and anoth
المزيد
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Personal Data
SANA’A, Jan 2
By: 
SANA’A, Sept. 11- A Joint Meeting Parties press conference last Thursday at Yemeni Socialist Party headquarters in Al-Safiah area in Sana’a reviewed election developments thus far by focusing on the ruling party’s undemocratic practices, violations committed and illegal use of public funds and media, displaying documents and checks revealing ruling party infringements.
SANA’A, June 18 — Amnesty International granted its human rights media award to leading Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani just days after his imprisonment by Yemeni authorities.
Saddam Al-Ashmouri 
SANA’A, Nov. 15 — In an exclusive statement to the Yemen Times, Member of Parliament and human rights activist Ahmed Saif Hashed strongly criticized the Yemeni Parliament’s presidency board, declaring that it deals with MPs like they’re in a military camp and not the people’s representatives.