Four eye-witnesses told Mwatana Organization for Human Rights that a protester was killed and six others were seriously injured in a fatal attack by the armed group "Ansar Allah" on a peaceful demonstration in Al-Baida city, northern of Yemen. According to the eye-witnesses, the armed men were indiscriminately shooting at tens of peaceful demonstrators downtown Al-Baidha city. Eye-witnesses told Mwatana that scores of demonstrators gathered in "The Sons of the Revolutionaries Square" between 9:30am and 10:00am on Thursday, March 12th, 2015. According to the witnesses, seven Al-Houthi gunmen arrived at the scene and asked the protesters to leave and warned them against holding a protest. When the protestors refused to leave and told the gunmen that they have the right to hold a peaceful demonstration, the gunmen began shooting at the car that was carrying loudspeakers and into the air. As a result, one victim called Ali Hussein Ashal Al Humaiqan was hit by a bullet. The protesters rushed him to the Haia Hospital and then to the Alzahara Hospital, but he passed away en route to the hospital. The eye-witnesses have told Mwatana that the demonstrators moved from "The Sons of the Revolutionaries Square" downtown the main street, and that dozens of "Ansar Allah" gunmen surrounded the demonstrators from three sides. According to an eye-witness, one of the vehicles broke into the center of the demonstration and the gunmen tried to detain some protesters. Some other gunmen obstructed the demonstrators, ordered them to stay put and started indiscriminately shooting live rounds at the protestors. As a result, six protestors were injured and the demonstration was broken up. Medical sources in Al-Baida city have confirmed to Mwatana that a protestor was shot dead and six others were seriously injured by live rounds. Mwatana has called the public prosecutor to open an immediate investigation into the attack and hold offenders accountable in accordance with the rules of law and principles of justice. Mwatana has held the leaders of the armed group "Ansar Allah" responsible for the attack and crackdown of peaceful protests and for inheriting the policy of impunity for human rights violations.
