Watch for Human Rights

Cases

Location of case in SG report: 2020-157-002

Relevant SG report

Year of the report: 2020

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.552727

Longitude: 48.516388

Country Geolocation (linked Cases): Yemen

From Region

Type of record: Named organization

Was the victim a foreign national?: No

Was the victim a minor?: No

Individual's/organization's activity: Watch for Human Rights, who has documented human rights violations, particularly in Taizz governorate, since 2015; The cases submitted to the GEE included documented violations against civilians, including cases of child sexual abuse and rape, as well as arbitrary detention of civilians in illegal prisons, and the issuing of arbitrary death sentences.

Type of rights defended

Children’s rights
Civil/political rights

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

Reported trigger of reprisal: Between October 2019 and March 2020, Mr. Al-Shawafi engaged with the GEE, and with the Security Council sanctions committee.

Engagement with UN body

UN Human Rights Council: UN Independent Investigation
UN Security Council

Dates of engagement: Between October 2019 and March 2020

Type of attempted engagement

Submission of information to UN

Dates of mentioned reprisals: October 2019; April 2020

Location of mentioned reprisals: Taizz governorate

Reprisal information: OHCHR was informed that Watch for Human Rights has been smeared on social media, and Mr. Akram Al-Shawafi has been accused of collaborating with international bodies and offending the Yemeni military force.

The offices of the organization in Taizz were reportedly raided by the forces of the internationally recognized Government of Yemen, who threatened staff members and closed it in October 2019. The same month, as well as in April 2020, there were two stigmatization campaigns on social media, including Facebook, by supporters of the internationally recognized Government of Yemen, accusing Mr. Al-Shawafi and the organization of being biased and paid by de-facto authorities.

Types of reprisals suffered

Administrative reprisal
Defamation / Defamation campaign
Online harassment
Property damage/raid/search/confiscation
Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")

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?: No

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

How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?: 2

In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0: 2021

Follow up information provided in SG report 0

The case of Mr. Akram al-Shawafi and his co-workers at Watch for Human Rights was included in the 2020 report of the Secretary General275 in relation to the organization’s engagement with the Group of Experts and the Security Council Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts on Yemen. The organization has been documenting violations in Ta’izz Governorate since 2015. As of May 2021, the organization’s office continues to be closed since it was raided in October 2019 by Government forces, and the organization reportedly continues to face intimidation on social media by security personnel supporting the Government. Mr. al-Shawafi has been accused of collaborating with international bodies, offending the Yemeni military, being biased and paid by the Houthis.
Despite the organization’s office closure, Mr. al-Shawafi and his colleagues continued to submit cases to the GEE during the reporting period regarding violations against children, women, and civilians committed by parties to the conflict in Yemen. Two additional persons affiliated with Watch for Human Rights have allegedly also been targeted during the reporting period for UN cooperation (names withheld for fear of further reprisals).
The first, a female lawyer, received death threats on 28 September 2020 after sharing information with OHCHR about the alleged rape of a minor by multiple individuals. The threats allegedly came from a soldier affiliated with Central Security in Ta’izz who reportedly facilitated the escape of the alleged perpetrators who were due to appear in court. On 5 October 2020, after the Ta’izz Bar Association made a complaint on behalf of the lawyer to the Appeals Prosecution Office, three armed individuals apprehended the lawyer, threatened her with death and ordered her not to follow up the case. When she subsequently filed a complaint with the police on 10 January 2021, four gunmen later allegedly sent by a senior member of the Special Security Forces, threatened her with death and accused her of insulting the police.
In February 2021, the lawyer again communicated with OHCHR to report the illtreatment and torture of detainees at the Central Prison Correctional Center in Ta’izz, following which the Prison Director reportedly immediately filed a complaint with the Ta’izz Bar Association. The Ta’izz Police issued a press release accusing her of spreading false information. She made a public appeal calling on the Taizz Appeals Prosecution, as well as the Head of the Finance Prosecution and the Military Police Commander for her protection. This reportedly set off a campaign on social media and further death threats instructing her to halt her publicity of the alleged rape case.
The second, a male human rights researcher for Watch for Human Rights based in Sana’a reportedly faced harassment, intimidation, threats and reprisals during the reporting period for documenting and informing the GEE and Security Council Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts of violations against civilians and the conditions of women detainees in Sana’a. He was reportedly accused of working for Western interests and for international organizations. On 19 December 2020, military personnel affiliated with the Houthis reportedly appeared at the researcher’s university and visited his family in their home, declaring that he would be arrested if he did not submit himself to the police. He has since relocated to a governorate outside Houthi territory.

Followup Trends 0: Deterioration/further reprisals

Did the government respond? 0: No

In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1: 2022

Follow up information provided in SG report 1

The case of Mr. Akram al-Shawafi and his co-workers at Watch for Human Rights, documenting and reporting violations in the Ta’izz’s Governorate, was included in the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General in relation to threats and attacks for the organization’s engagement with the Group of Experts and the Security Council Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts on Yemen. It was reported to OHCHR that during the reporting period, Watch for Human Rights and Mr. Akram al-Shawafi continued to document serious crimes and human rights violations on the Yemeni-Saudi border, including sexual abuse and child trafficking, and to report them to the United Nations. In January 2022, following the killing of a key witness in December 2021 and contact with the United Nations Panel of Experts, Mr. Akram al-Shawafi received an anonymous call urging him to stop documenting human rights violations and leave the region as soon as possible. In February 2022, while Mr. Al-Shawafi was driving with his family, their car was blocked by a group of gunmen near his area of residence. The attackers allegedly threatened him and said they were watching every movement and that of his family members. Mr. Akram al-Shawafi has reportedly filed reports with the police for both incidents but has thus far been unable to get a copy of the registration of his complaint filed.

Followup Trends 1: Deterioration/further reprisals

Did the government respond? 1: No