September Net

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented 2,158 violations that affected mosques and places of worship in 14 Yemeni governorates, perpetrated by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia during the period from January 1 to April 30, 2022 AD.

In a report, the network said the violations affected mosques and places of worship in Sana’a capital city, Amran, Hajjah, Saada, Al-Jawf, Marib, Dhamar, Ibb, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhalea, Taiz, Raymah, and Al-Mahwit. These included direct killing of imams and preachers, crimes of bodily injury, beating of worshipers, kidnapping of imams and worshipers, enforced disappearance of imams and preachers, physical and psychological torture, prohibiting Tarawih prayers in the month of Ramadan, imposing preachers with Houthi ideological backgrounds, and the total closure of mosques and converting mosques to centers for sectarian radicalization of children.

The report indicated that the Houthi militias were involved in 109 cases of killing of preachers, imams of mosques, clerics, and worshipers, including (62) cases of killing by direct firing, 17 cases of killing by indiscriminate shelling and 19 killing by the use of excessive force and beatings, 11 killing by stabbing, 132 cases of physical injury, 376 cases of kidnapping of imams and preachers of mosques and worshipers, 52 cases of physical and psychological torture of imams, prayer call men (Muadhins) and other mosque staffers, including 6 cases of torture to death in Houthi detention centers. Sana’a the governorate and Sana’a the capital saw the highest number of violations.