American Center for Justice Warns Against the Forced Deportation of a Yemeni and a Moroccan in Benin
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) has submitted an urgent communication to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) concerning the detention by authorities in the Republic of Benin of a Yemeni national and a Moroccan national. In its letter dated March 26, 2026, the Center highlighted the case of the Yemeni national, Ahmed Al-Maliki, who faces serious risks to his life and personal safety if returned to his country of origin, which continues to experience ongoing armed conflict and severe humanitarian conditions.
The Center stressed that any attempt to forcibly return him would constitute a violation of the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international refugee law.
ACJ urged UNHCR to intervene immediately to assess the protection needs of the individuals concerned and to prevent any unlawful deportation measures.
The Center also raised serious concerns regarding the referral of the two individuals, Ahmed Al-Maliki and Abdelkamel El-Hmamouchi, to the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET) in Cotonou, Benin. The Michigan-based organization indicated that it had received credible information suggesting that the individuals had been subjected to arbitrary detention and violations of fair trial guarantees, as well as the potential misuse of legal frameworks in their cases.
It further urged UNHCR to monitor the ongoing judicial proceedings before this specialized court, ensure that legal frameworks are not misused against the detainees, and document any human rights violations associated with the case.
In an urgent appeal, the American Center for Justice called for consideration of resettlement in a safe third country, given the impossibility of safe return to their countries of origin under current conditions, particularly in light of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The Center expressed its full readiness to cooperate with UNHCR to ensure the safety of the detainees, emphasizing that the current situation may constitute serious violations of international human rights and refugee protection standards, and requires urgent action to prevent irreparable harm
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