Mme Vice-President,

One year has passed since Yemen was on the agenda of the Human Rights Council and the Yemeni Bahá’ís remain systematically persecuted at the hands of the Houthis simply because of their religious affiliation. At present, 24 Bahá’ís are still under indictment. The six Bahá’ís who were unjustly detained and tortured in Sana’a and later deported from the country have now been branded by the authorities as fugitives, despite the fact that the condition the Houthis gave for their release was their immediate departure, or, in other words, exile. The judiciary has approved the confiscation of Bahá’í-owned assets and property, and the blacklisting of Bahá’ís, leading to thousands of them being denied the possibility to earn a living and many more under constant surveillance.

Two weeks ago, the authorities threatened and prevented a Yemeni Bahá’í from participating in a televised programme where he was to be interviewed along with a representative of the Houthis, in a blatant case of violation of not only freedom of religion or belief, but also of freedom of expression.

Mme Vice-President

The targeted persecution that thousands of Bahá’ís in Yemen face is in addition to the immense suffering that all Yemenis endure. The international community must continue to call on the Houthis to cease its persecution and cruel treatment of the Bahá’ís, and allow them to practice their faith freely and enjoy their human rights as equals in their society.