AL-MUKALLA: The Iran-backed Houthi militia has attacked and confiscated properties of 35 Yemeni MPs who back the internationally recognized government, the head of Parliament said on Sunday.
Sultan Al-Barakani added that the Houthis have prosecuted dozens of MPs and raided their homes in Sanaa and other areas in northern Yemen.
During a meeting in Riyadh with Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy to Yemen, Al-Barakani urged him to persuade the Houthis to stop their “absurd” trials of their opponents and to return confiscated properties, the official Yemen News Agency reported.
Since seizing Sanaa in late 2014, the Houthis have put on trial in absentia many senior government officials who have challenged their rule, including President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, former and current Cabinet ministers, and MPs.
After the trials, the Houthis storm the homes of the prosecuted figures, confiscate their properties and seize their bank accounts.
The Yemen News Agency said Al-Barakani submitted a file to Griffiths containing information about Houthi abuses, including attacks on MPs’ homes, muzzling freedom of expression, looting humanitarian aid, confiscating newly printed bank notes and shelling densely populated areas.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed since late 2018, when the government and the Houthis signed the Stockholm Agreement, which was designed to end hostilities in Yemen’s western province of Hodeida.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami told ambassadors of five members of the UN Security Council that the Houthis have used the cease-fire in Hodeida to mobilize forces on other battlefields.
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Since seizing Sanaa in late 2014, the Houthis have put on trial in absentia many senior government officials who have challenged their rule, including the Yemeni president.
He repeated the government’s threat to withdraw from the agreement if the Houthis do not stop attacking government forces and civilians.
Last month, a Houthi missile and drone attack killed more than 110 soldiers and civilians in the city of Marib.
Al-Hadhrami described the Stockholm Agreement as “useless,” saying it is only encouraging the Houthis to press ahead with their military activities.
Meanwhile, government forces have recaptured mountains in the district of Nehim near Sanaa after fierce clashes with the Houthis.
Fighting also broke out in the southern city of Taiz, the northern province of Jouf and Marib’s Serwah district.UN envoy to persuade Houthis to stop their “absurd” trials of their opponents and to return their confiscated properties, according to a statement carried on the official Saba news agency.
Since seizing power in late 2014, Houthis have put on trial in absentia many senior government officials who challenged their rule including the president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, former and current cabinet ministers and members of parliament. After the trial, Houthi armed men storm houses of the prosecuted figures, confiscate their properties and seize their bank accounts.
Government officials have long stressed that the attacks on their houses would not deter them from opposing Houthi coup against the internationally recognized government and backing military operations by the Saudi-led coalition. The official news agency said Al-Barakani submitted a file to the UN envoy containing information about Houthi abuses including attacks on houses of members of the parliament, muzzling freedom of expression, looting humanitarian aid, confiscating newly–printed bank notes and shelling densely populated areas in Marib and Jawf.
Similarly, Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami has repeated government’s threat to pull out of Stockholm Agreement if the Houthis did not de-escalate their attacks on government forces or civilians gatherings across Yemen.
Al-Hadhrami told ambassadors of five members of the Security Council that the internationally –recognized government honors its commitments to the peace deal with Houthis, but it might think the other way if the Houthis did not stop attacking camps of displaced people and cities under government cities.
The minister said that the Houthis have used the cease-fire in Hodeida to mobilize forces on other battlefields. Hundreds of civilians have been killed since late 2018 when the government and Houthis signed Stockholm Agreement that was designed to end hostilities in Yemen’s western province of Hodeida. The government harshly criticized the agreement last month when a Houthi missile and drone attack killed more than 110 soldiers and civilians at a military base mosque in the city of Marib. Al-Hadhrami described the deal as “useless” and only encourages Houthis to press ahead with their military activities.
On the battlefield, government forces have recaptured a number of mountains in the district of Nehim, near Sanaa, after fierce clashes with Houthis. Yemen’s ministry of defense said that government forces stormed Soleb mountain and its surroundings in Nehim on Sunday. Fighting also broke out in the southern city of Taiz, the northern province of Jawf and Marib’s Serwah district.
