Arbitrary Detention and Enforced Disappearance of a Citizen in Sana’a Over His Religious Advocacy Activities

Eyewitnesses informed the American Center for Justice (ACJ) that a security force affiliated with the Houthi group arrested the citizen “Ayman Dhabyan Mohammed” in front of a mosque in the Airport area of the capital, Sana’a, while he was on his way to perform Maghrib prayer, and took him to an undisclosed location.

Dhabyan works operating a mobile ice cream cart. According to testimonies, the force, using a military vehicle and official uniforms, carried out the arrest without presenting any legal justification or arrest warrant issued by the public prosecutor’s office. The detainee is currently being subjected to enforced disappearance, as local police stations in the area have denied responsibility for his detention and have provided conflicting information to his family regarding his whereabouts, shifting responsibility between the district administration and the intelligence apparatus.

Dhabyan is known for his voluntary religious outreach activities, including delivering sermons and religious lessons within his local community. His arrest comes within a broader context aimed at suppressing independent social actors, monopolizing public space, and preventing any religious or guidance activities that are not under the group’s supervision and control.

The American Center for Justice emphasizes that these practices constitute a blatant violation of the right to personal liberty and security, and an infringement on freedom of belief and expression. The Center calls for the immediate disclosure of Ayman Dhubyan’s fate and his unconditional release, holding the Houthi-affiliated security authorities legally and criminally responsible for his safety and life.