Akram Al- Shawafi

Cases

Relevant SG report

From Country

Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.552727

Longitude: 48.516388

From Region

Individual's/organization's activity: of 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

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

Type of attempted engagement

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

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

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

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.