GENEVA — On the sidelines of the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations (Rasd) organized a symposium Thursday on arbitrary detention in Yemen with the report of a panel of eminent experts and UN resolutions on Yemen, particularly Resolution 2216, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. During the symposium, Rasd Coalition referred to the arbitrary arrests being carried out by Houthi militia since its coup against legitimacy in September 2014, which affected a number of politicians, human rights activists, journalists, media persons, women and children for political, sectarian, religious and regional reasons. According to the Yemeni news agency, Rasd Coalition documented the arrest and kidnapping of 16,565, including 368 children, 98 women and 385 elderly people during the period from September 2104 to December 2018. Rasd Coalition also reviewed the activities of some UN organizations and affiliated bodies in Yemen that provide support to Al-Houthi militias directly or indirectly. UNDP has, for example, delivered 20 4x4 vehicles to the Houthis, arguing that they would facilitate demining efforts, while in fact these vehicles will be used by Houthi militias to fight Yemenis. Rasd Coalition explained that a GEE team has departed from the task entrusted to it which is to monitor and investigate all violations of all parties since September 2014. The team ignored the essence of the conflict which is the onslaught of Houthi militias against the legitimately elected authority, and the launching of a war to control all Yemeni governorates, including bombing, killing and demolition in addition to the devastation of Yemen's citizens, institutions, infrastructure, social, economic and developmental life and the threat of regional and international security. Rasd Coalition asserted that the report of the Group of Eminent Experts did not address these issues in depth. It also stressed that addressing the roots of the political crisis in Yemen lies in ending the coup, restoring state institutions and extending its control over the entire territory of the Republic of Yemen, calling on the United Nations to get Houthi militias to abide by all UN Security Council resolutions, and the need to pressure Iran to cease its support for Houthi militia. -SPA
