Spokesperson for the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location: Geneva
Yemen
We are deeply alarmed by the
imposition of the death penalty on 30 people by the Specialised First Instance
Criminal Court of the de facto authorities in Sana’a. The 30 men – most of whom
are academics, students and politicians affiliated with the Islah party that
has been critical of the Houthis – were sentenced to death on Tuesday.
The UN Human Rights Office has
received credible information suggesting that many of those convicted were
subjected to arbitrary or unlawful detention, as well as torture and other
ill-treatment in custody. They were arrested by members of the forces and popular
committees affiliated with the Houthis at various points in 2016 and charged in
April 2017 with allegedly participating in an organized armed group with the
intention of carrying out criminal acts against the security personnel and
popular committees affiliated with the Houthis, such as bombing and
assassination in Sana’a, providing intelligence to aggressors, and affecting
Yemen’s social peace and security.
We understand that the convictions
and sentences will be appealed and call on the Appellate Court to take heed of
the serious allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, and of violations
of the fair trial and due process rights of the convicted people. Any
politically motivated charges should be dismissed and international fair trial
standards fully complied with.
The UN opposes the use of the death
penalty in all circumstances.
ENDS
For more information and media
requests, please contact: Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 /
rshamdasani@ohchr.org
Tag and share - Twitter:
@UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar