Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Official Web Site
WASHINGTON-SABA
The United States of America announced the imposition of sanctions on a leader of the Iranian regime backed Houthi terrorist militias and one of its affiliated entities, because of their involvement in gross human rights violations in Yemen.
The U.S. embassy in Yemen said in a statement today, Monday, learned by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), on International Human Rights Day, that under Executive Order No. 13818, the sanctions include Abdul Qader Hassan Yahya al-Martadha, head of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs of the Houthi militias, as well as the sanctions include the Prisoners’ Affairs Committee itself because of their
The statement affirmed that al-Martadha, through his role as Chairman of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, has been directly involved in torturing prisoners and other forms of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishing detainees in Houthi prisons that continue to hold individuals who have exercised their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, local UN staff, non-governmental organizations and the US embassy.
The statement reads “these designations, which coincide with the celebration of International Human Rights Day, aim to show solidarity with current and former local employees of the U.S. and publicly condemn the Houthi terrorist militia for their continued gross violations of human rights, moreover to pressuring the Houthis and strengthening other efforts by the US government to release those unfairly detained in Houthi prisons, including our employees,”
The United States affirmed its commitment to continue its efforts to uphold accountability for perpetrators of gross human rights violations and deny them access to U.S. and international financial institutions and to continue to use these tools to promote accountability for individuals fueling violence in Yemen, including so-called Houthi officials.
The sanctions prohibit all transactions by or through U.S. persons or within the U.S involving any property or interests in the property of designated or prohibited persons, and prohibitions include: providing to, or receiving or contributing to, or for the benefit of any funds, goods or services to, or for the benefit of the Prohibited Persons.