Religious minorities, particularly in areas controlled by the armed Houthi group known as "Ansar Allah" and backed by Iran, face severe restrictions and violations of their rights and freedoms. These limitations include the prohibition of practicing their religious beliefs and expressing their opinions in the pursuit of a fair and just society. The Baha'i community is one such religious minority that is systematically targeted by the Houthis. Baha'is, who adhere to the Baha'i faith and engage in religious rituals, experience persecution and discrimination based on their religious affiliation.
Since 2014, when the Houthis took control of Sana'a through armed means, Baha'is have been systematically denied their fundamental rights to freedom of religion, belief, expression, peaceful assembly, and association. This oppressive approach bears similarities to the treatment of Baha'is in Iran, where a significant number of individuals belonging to this faith have long endured severe persecution and repression. Iran and its affiliated groups consistently pursue policies aimed at suppressing and persecuting followers of the Baha'i faith.
The Houthi armed group frequently targets Baha'i gatherings held in private residences and forums due to the lack of public spaces available for practicing their religious rituals in Yemen. Regrettably, these gatherings have become targets of arbitrary arrests and mistreatment by the Houthis. In 2016, a considerable number of civilians, mostly Baha'i followers in Sana'a, were detained, including men, women, and even children. Subsequently, in 2017, the Houthis launched multiple arrest campaigns specifically targeting Baha'is at various intervals.
Currently, five members of the Baha'i community remain arbitrarily detained in detention centers operated by the Houthis. On Thursday, May 25, 2023, heavily armed forces raided a house in the capital, Sana'a, during the annual meeting of the Baha'i community, which was being broadcasted via the Zoom application. Seventeen Baha'is, including five women, were arrested and transported blindfolded to a detention center under the control of the Houthi armed group's security and intelligence agency. While 12 individuals have been released since then, the remaining five are being denied their right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by normal judicial standards. They continue to face the risk of further violations, such as torture, ill-treatment, and poor detention conditions.
According to the global Baha'i community, the 12 previously detained Baha'is are currently under constant surveillance, which not only endangers their safety but also restricts their freedom of movement. Furthermore, upon their release, they were coerced into signing pledges and forced to participate in indoctrination programs aimed at pressuring them to renounce their Bahá'í beliefs.
Walid Ayyash (55 years old), the Secretary-General of the National Council for Minorities in Yemen and head of the Call for Coexistence and Construction organization, said: “I ask the de facto authority, the Houthi group, which is listed on the terrorist list, to immediately and unconditionally release the five Baha’is who are still in its detention centers, and I hold them responsible for their safety, and here I would like to confirm such violations of human rights and the policy of discrimination are crimes and practices that expose their perpetrators to accountability when the appropriate opportunity arises.” He added: “ I call on the recognized government to bear its responsibility and fulfill its obligations towards all its citizens, including minorities. We also call on the international community to carry out the duty and responsibility of international protection of minorities in Yemen. "
Baha'is in Yemen often face baseless accusations like apostasy and espionage without proper legal investigations or prior notification of charges. Unfair trials lacking essential guarantees have resulted in death sentences for individuals who converted to the Baha'i faith. The Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa, under Houthi control, oversees these trials. Convictions on these charges can carry the possibility of the death penalty.
In early 2018, Hamed Ben Haidara received a death sentence from the Specialized Criminal Court, along with the confiscation of his property and closure of Baha'i forums in the country. Similar measures have been taken against other 24 Baha'is, including asset and property seizures. After years of arbitrary detention, the detained Baha'is were released in July 2020 under the condition that they permanently leave Yemen, a blatant violation of their rights as a minority and their right to remain in their homeland and practice their beliefs. The Houthi armed group's attempts to eradicate the Baha'i community in Yemen have forced its members into exile, depriving them of their fundamental right to return home and reclaim their possessions.
The case against 24 Yemeni Baha'i citizens is still ongoing in the Specialized Criminal Court, and the bank accounts of over a hundred Baha'i individuals and their associates remain frozen, severely restricting their financial freedom. Additionally, Baha'is face continuous harassment in their activities and gatherings, impeding their ability to practice various aspects of their faith.
Members of the Baha'i community detained by the Houthi group endure numerous violations in detention centers, including enforced disappearances and various forms of torture. Ayyash himself has been a victim of the group's brutality, having been imprisoned twice. During his three-year, four-month, and fifteen-day incarceration, he experienced severe mistreatment, including beatings with iron skewers on his back and feet. He was kept in solitary confinement for six months and deprived of daylight for over a year. The torture he endured was both physical and psychological, and his family received no information about his well-being for more than a year. The prison conditions were deplorable, with insufficient nutrition, particularly during the first year, and overcrowding when transferred to a communal cell with 40 other detainees.
The Houthi group's media outlets and preachers actively propagate hate speech, contributing to a hostile and intolerant environment against the Baha'i community. This religiously charged discourse fuels discrimination and incitement based on religious beliefs, posing a direct threat to the safety and lives of Baha'is and other minority groups in Yemen.
Baha'is, like all Yemeni citizens, should have the fundamental right to peacefully reside and coexist in their homeland without facing discrimination. Unfortunately, they currently live in a state of heightened tension and anxiety, fearing the unjust confiscation of their rights and freedoms. The Houthis must immediately and unconditionally release the five remaining Baha'is, accompanied by an end to discriminatory practices based on religion or belief. These individuals are being held solely for peacefully exercising their human rights. Such arbitrary measures against religious minorities, including the Baha'is, represent clear violations of international human rights standards, including the right to freedom of religion or belief as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant conventions.
