Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Jamal Amer sent letters to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk; the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Jörg Lauber; and the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope.
The letters urged them to intervene urgently regarding the critical humanitarian and legal conditions faced by a large number of Yemeni expatriates detained in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These conditions arise amid the exceptional circumstances Yemen is enduring and the negative repercussions affecting thousands of Yemeni expatriates worldwide.
The letters emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has received numerous documented reports from citizens, their families, and concerned civil society organizations. These reports highlight practices that violate the most basic principles of human rights and international law against Yemeni expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The violations primarily involve the arbitrary detention of many expatriates who have been arrested without clear charges or brought to trial within a reasonable timeframe in accordance with international legal standards.
The practices also include continued detention even after the completion of prison sentences, raising serious concerns. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yemenis remain detained in Saudi prisons despite having served their full judicial sentences.
The letters noted that these practices—sometimes attributed to complex administrative procedures related to deportation or the absence of a sponsor—deprive individuals of their freedom unlawfully and place their families in severe humanitarian and economic hardship. Additionally, Yemeni diplomatic and consular missions in Saudi Arabia face difficulties in accessing detainees and providing them with necessary consular and legal support, depriving them of their fundamental right to defend themselves and undermining their internationally guaranteed legal rights.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that these practices not only contradict fundamental human rights principles and international law but also exacerbate the suffering of citizens already enduring harsh conditions due to the aggression and blockade against Yemen.
He stated that these conditions constitute a clear violation of numerous international instruments that states are obligated to uphold, including principles related to the right to liberty, personal security, and fair trial.
Minister Amer expressed the Yemeni government’s confidence in the vital role played by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and the International Organization for Migration in protecting and assisting migrants and displaced persons worldwide.
He appealed to these organizations to intervene urgently and directly to address this pressing humanitarian issue by urging Saudi authorities to immediately release Yemeni detainees who have completed their sentences or are being arbitrarily held without legal basis, in line with their international obligations.
The Foreign Minister also called for ensuring the rights of detained Yemenis to legal representation and consular assistance, as well as guaranteeing their treatment in accordance with international human rights standards. He further requested the deployment of assessment teams to conduct field visits to prisons and detention centers in Saudi Arabia to evaluate the conditions of detained Yemeni expatriates and provide recommendations to safeguard their rights.
| more of (Local) |