general situation

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2023-126-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2023
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.552727

Longitude: 48.516388

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Yemen
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Treaty Bodies: CESCR
  • OHCHR: OHCHR - General
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
Dates of prior UN action
14 September 2022, 23 March 2023
Type of record
General situation addressed
Gender
Gender unclear
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

human rights defenders, including those working on economic, social and cultural rights and social justice

Type of rights defended
  • Economic/social rights
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal
  1. In its concluding observations on the third periodic report of Yemen, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concerns about credible and reliable reports of harassment, intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders, including those working on economic, social and cultural rights and social justice (E/C.12/YEM/CO/3, para. 13).
  2. OHCHR continued to document restrictions on humanitarian and development activities by the, the Houthi movement (also known as Ansar Allah) hindering United Nations operations and limiting engagement with civil society actors.96 OHCHR also documented the impact of these restrictions on human rights work and on civil society engagement with the United Nations on human rights. In March 2023, the authorities in the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sana’a refused to grant approval to OHCHR to organize human rights- related commemoration and consultation events with civil society participation, including on the occasion of the International Women’s Day in Sana’a and Hajjah, and on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Sana’a, Hajjah, and Hudaydah.97
  3. OHCHR documented efforts to discourage contact with, and to undermine the confidence of local population in, the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations. Local partners of United Nations and international humanitarian organizations risked being labelled as agents or collaborators of international actors. In the Governorates of Hadramaut, Abyan, Sana’a, Al-Maharah, Dhale’, Ibb and Al Baydah, religious leaders reportedly used their sermons repeatedly to speak against the United Nations and international organizations operating in Yemen. They demanded the banning and expulsion of the United Nations and other international organizations, claiming that their continued presence would increase corruption, immorality and conspiring against Islamic values.
Engagement with UN body
  • UN Treaty Bodies: CESCR
  • OHCHR: OHCHR - General
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
  • Other
Type of attempted engagement
  • Unclear
Reprisal information
  1. In its concluding observations on the third periodic report of Yemen, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concerns about credible and reliable reports of harassment, intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders, including those working on economic, social and cultural rights and social justice (E/C.12/YEM/CO/3, para. 13).
  2. OHCHR continued to document restrictions on humanitarian and development activities by the, the Houthi movement (also known as Ansar Allah) hindering United Nations operations and limiting engagement with civil society actors.96 OHCHR also documented the impact of these restrictions on human rights work and on civil society engagement with the United Nations on human rights. In March 2023, the authorities in the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sana’a refused to grant approval to OHCHR to organize human rights- related commemoration and consultation events with civil society participation, including on the occasion of the International Women’s Day in Sana’a and Hajjah, and on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Sana’a, Hajjah, and Hudaydah.97
  3. OHCHR documented efforts to discourage contact with, and to undermine the confidence of local population in, the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations. Local partners of United Nations and international humanitarian organizations risked being labelled as agents or collaborators of international actors. In the Governorates of Hadramaut, Abyan, Sana’a, Al-Maharah, Dhale’, Ibb and Al Baydah, religious leaders reportedly used their sermons repeatedly to speak against the United Nations and international organizations operating in Yemen. They demanded the banning and expulsion of the United Nations and other international organizations, claiming that their continued presence would increase corruption, immorality and conspiring against Islamic values.
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
  • Unclear
Alleged/likely perpetrators
Both state and non-state actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Government response dates
19 July 2023
Government response content
  1. On 19 July 2023, the Government of Yemen responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report noting that most of the allegations on cases of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations had taken place in areas controlled by the “Houthi coup militias”. The Government condemned those actions.
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?
No