Houthi Abductions Escalate in Ibb, Targeting Academics and Civil Servants

Yemen Online

5 days ago

Human rights groups and local sources have reported a sweeping campaign of abductions carried out by Houthi forces in Yemen's Ibb governorate, targeting dozens of government employees, academics, and civil society figures.
The wave of detentions—described as one of the largest in recent months—has sparked alarm over the growing repression in Houthi-controlled areas.
According to field reports, more than 70 individuals have been detained in recent days, including university professors, doctors, lawyers, bank employees, and religious scholars.
The arrests were conducted without judicial warrants, often involving armed raids on homes, workplaces, and public institutions.
Among the prominent cases:
- Dr. Mohammed Al-Sharh, a university lecturer, was abducted from his office.
- Hamoud Al-Maqbali, head of HR at the University of Science and Technology, was taken from campus.
- Mohammed Al-Salmi, a disabled former NGO director, was detained despite suffering from chronic health conditions.
- Mohammed Al-Khawlani, a Quran scholar preparing his PhD, was seized from a religious center.
Rights monitors say the detainees are being held in secret prisons, where reports of torture and forced confessions have emerged. The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented 83 cases of arbitrary detention in Ibb between March and July 2025, including nine enforced disappearances and multiple cases involving minors and educators.
Calls are mounting for international intervention, with rights groups urging the UN and humanitarian agencies to pressure the Houthis for the immediate release of detainees and accountability for abuses.