Mwatana for Human Rights stated that it provided legal support—through its network of field lawyers—to 464 victims of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, and contributed to the release of 41 of them during September 2025.
Mwatana provided legal assistance to civilian victims detained by various parties, including:
The victims were distributed across several governorates, including:
Taiz (72 victims), Aden (65), Sana’a City (61), Hadramout (48), Hajjah (31), Lahj (27), Marib (25), Shabwah (21), Al-Hudaydah (19), Ibb (16), Al-Dhale’e (16), Abyan (13), Sana’a Governorate (12), Dhamar (12), Al-Bayda (10), Al-Mahwit (9), Amran (5), Sa’dah (2), and the Yemen-Saudi border areas (1). Mwatana contributed to the release of 41 of these victims during the same month.
During September 2025, Mwatana for Human Rights documented 104 new incidents of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture.
Responsibility for these violations was distributed as follows:
Ansar Allah (the Houthis): 58 incidents
Government forces recognized internationally: 22 incidents
Southern Transitional Council (STC): 23 incidents
Coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE: 1 incident
The month of September 2025 witnessed a notable increase in arbitrary detention campaigns across areas controlled by Ansar Allah (the Houthis), coinciding with the anniversary of the September 26 Revolution. Additional waves of arrests also targeted employees working with international humanitarian organizations.
Mwatana for Human Rights provides legal assistance through a network of lawyers across Yemen to victims of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, perpetrated by all parties to the conflict.
Mwatana pursues these efforts alongside or on behalf of victims and their families, following meticulous documentation of all information related to the victim and the incident, and based on informed consent from the victims or their relatives.
The Legal Support Team at Mwatana focuses its efforts on ensuring procedural justice for all individuals in contact with law enforcement entities or detained by armed groups acting as de facto authorities. The aim is to guarantee that such individuals enjoy their full rights from the moment of arrest, through interrogation, defense, detention conditions, and trial proceedings.
