Abdulmajeed Sabrah

Cases

Relevant SG report

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.552727

Longitude: 48.516388

From Region

Type of rights defended

Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?: No

Reported trigger of reprisal: It was reported to OHCHR that Mr. Abdulmajeed Sabrah, a lawyer representing journalists and human rights defenders in the northern areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthi forces, has been intimidated for sharing information with the UN and informed him that he was being actively monitored. He has advocated for his clients in meetings with OHCHR and other UN entities, including on the health conditions of four detained journalists whom he was assisting, and received threats including on social media warning him not to continue with these cases. Between May 2020 and April 2021, he was accused verbally by officials in the Specialized Criminal Prosecution Office in Sana’a for collaborating with international bodies, among other entities.

Engagement with UN body

Type of attempted engagement

Meeting with UN officials during country visit / with locally present UN officials
Participation in meeting on UN premises

Reprisal information: It was reported to OHCHR that Mr. Abdulmajeed Sabrah, a lawyer representing journalists and human rights defenders in the northern areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthi forces, has been intimidated for sharing information with the UN and informed him that he was being actively monitored. He has advocated for his clients in meetings with OHCHR and other UN entities, including on the health conditions of four detained journalists whom he was assisting, and received threats including on social media warning him not to continue with these cases. Between May 2020 and April 2021, he was accused verbally by officials in the Specialized Criminal Prosecution Office in Sana’a for collaborating with international bodies, among other entities.

Types of reprisals suffered

Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?: Yes

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?: No

Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?: No

Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?: Yes

Follow up information provided in SG report 0

The case of Mr. Abdulmajeed Sabrah, a lawyer representing journalists and human rights defenders in the northern areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthi forces, was included in the 2021 report of the Secretary-General on allegations of intimidation, including on social media, and surveillance for sharing information with the United Nations. According to information received by OHCHR, in January 2022, Mr. Sabrah remained unable to defend his clients effectively because of the surveillance of his activities. Reportedly, petitions on behalf of his clients were regularly ignored or rejected, and he was subjected to intimidation and threats for alleged treason, receipt of funds, affiliation with international organizations, and for sharing information about his clients’ cases in meetings with United Nations officials

Follow up information provided in SG report 1

The case of Mr. Abdulmajeed Sabrah, a lawyer representing journalists and human rights defenders in the northern areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthi forces, was included in the 2021 and 2022 reports of the Secretary-General since 2021 on allegations of intimidation, including on social media, and surveillance for sharing information with the United Nations. According to information received by OHCHR, in July 2022, Mr. Sabrah was subjected to intimidation by the Security and Intelligence Service, and harassment by the Specialized Criminal Court for sharing information with the United Nations and other international organizations on some of his cases. Reportedly, he was under continued surveillance by the Security and Intelligence Service.