Biased to Houthis … Human rights activists criticize unprofessional reporting on Yemen

On24 September, Yemeni human rights activists criticized what they called fraud and double standard practices of the group of eminent experts in Yemen.

During a press conference held at Geneva Press Club, titled “Analytical Review of the Report of the Group of Eminent Experts in Yemen,” advocates criticized the way the team of experts are dealing with the crimes of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, confirming that the reports lack any human rights monitoring and documentation.

In this regard, Al-Gharati said at the symposium organized by the Yemeni Coalition for Independent Women, European Allied Organizations for Peace in Yemen, and the International Association of Founders of the Future of Youth“The third report has been politicized and militarized, particularly the military attachments for the work of the UN envoy to Yemen, the political track and the peace process, ”

He indicated that the report evaded the group’s mission, and focused on the issue of taking decisions on Yemen, referring it to the Security Council and UniversalJurisdiction.

It did not address the exhaustion of national jurisdiction, and of course this is what the Houthi militia has been demanding for years, because it is an armed group and not a state, which is what the United Nations policies adopt in dealing with states.

 These statements came during the conference chaired by the Secretary General of the International Association of Founders of the Future of Youth, Juan RecimelMagarinius.

Murad Al-Gharati, President of Tamkeen Foundation for Development and Human Rights, denounced the confusion caused by the UN expert group in Yemen, its shady exploitation of human rights, and the manipulation of professional human rights work.

He stressed that the task of the group is based on monitoring, documentation, tracking and investigation, and submitting recommendations to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights only.

Al-Gharati also called for clear and specific drafting standards for international human rights reports, and that they should be based on the group’s mission and process.

He criticized the errors and deficiencies mentioned in the UN group’s report, noting that it relied in its texts on words such as “the team believes” and “it can be said”, in additionto other terms combined with“ the team obtained a little information from the interviewees” which indicates weakness of the information and its sources; and it makes us wonder how reports are prepared.

“There are violations that are specific to Houthi militia, such as mines, child recruitment, sniping, and economic, social and cultural violations, which have not been mentioned in the report. The classification of human rights violations that overlap with violations of international humanitarian law is also not found in the report. The team did not specify in all its reports the criteria and priorities of the incidents and the severity of the violations and their classification,” added Al-Gharati.

Nabil Al-Asidi, journalist and member of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, confirmed that there are political agendas behind the formation of an international team of experts in Yemen. It was initially a political decision more than a humanitarian one that triumphs for the rights of victims.

He indicated that the international division in voting on the legality of this team, and the rejection and abstention of a large number of countries from voting in its favour, reflected dissatisfaction with the expert team’s politicization of the human rights situation in Yemen, and objection to the results of the principles of professionalism and integrity by disregarding many violations, especially the ones with regard to Houthi militia.

The president of Tamkeen Foundation has also exposed the double standards of the UN’s team in dealing with the Houthiputschist militia, asthey did not provide real and appropriate names and descriptions. The team of Experts should call it a militia that has overthrown legitimacy, not de facto authority. The report has also called terrorist Abdul-Malik al-Houthi “Leader of Ansar Allah” even though it is a violent terrorist group. The report went to hold legitimacy and the coalition the greater responsibility, and this is contrary to reality.

Al-Asidi also reviewed the team’s most prominent weaknesses in handling humanitarian issues in Yemen, with regard to mechanisms and means of obtaining information, verifying and examining events on the ground and meeting victims and witnesses, which in return have weakened the monitoring, documentation and investigation mechanism for many cases and grave violations on the ground.

He stated that at the time the report was being discussed in the Security Council, the Houthi militia was bombing Taiz, Al-Jawf and Marib, indicating that the UN team does not cooperate with all organizations, but only deals with organizations working and loyal to Al-Houthi.

He pointed out that the legitimate government has a national commission for investigation, and that the coalition has legal mechanisms to deal with events, unlike the militia, which does not have any legal mechanism to investigate any violations committed by its followers,
He also condemned the UN’s team failure to implement international resolutions, primarily 2216, in addition to their failure in releasing detainees in Houthi prisons

 He denouncedthe group’s demands to refer the human rights file in Yemen to the Security Council, despite allcrimes and violations theHouthi militia has committed.He said that those crimes will never be subject to statute of limitations and Houthis will be held accountable.

In a related context, a member of Yemeni Journalists Syndicate stated that the expert team has conducted 400 interviews with witnesses and victims outside Yemen, or by phone or via social media and e-mail, which led to a clear deficiency and a documentary defect of events. The team has also relied on news websites and inaccurate newspapers which fall under political pressure and political entanglements.