Aden (South24 Center)

Local and international human rights and media organizations have condemned a campaign of arrests and raids targeting protesters and journalists in Seiyun, Hadramout governorate. The action came in the aftermath of a massive protest rally held on February 6 in support of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).ِ

The UK-based organization "Front Line Defenders" stated on Monday (Feb 9) that the reported arrests and enforced disappearances in Seiyun "constitute a clear violation of international law." 

The organization affirmed that the people of South Yemen hold the right to peaceful expression, and called on international and regional bodies to take "urgent action" to disclose the fate of detainees and ensure the protection of minors.

The Aden Organization for Rights and Development reported on Sunday (Feb 8) that security forces deployed in Wadi Hadramout used live ammunition to disperse peaceful demonstrators, resulting in several injuries. 

The Southern Journalists Syndicate denounced the verbal and physical assault against media professionals, describing the targeting of journalists as a "flagrant violation of the constitution and international conventions." 

The Syndicate held the Saudi-backed Yemeni Emergency Forces responsible for the safety of those detained.

In a joint statement, 46 Southern human rights and civil society organizations condemned what they described as "gross violations" against peaceful protesters.

The statement highlighted the arrest of at least 25 individuals, including journalists and human rights activists, as well as the detention of minors under the age of 18 in "illegal facilities" inside Seiyun Airport.

The joint statement demanded that independent international investigation committees be sent there and called on the Human Rights Commission and the UN Envoy for urgent intervention.

The Rights and Liberties Committee of the STC National Assembly on Monday (Feb 9) said what is happening in Wadi Hadramout represents a "systematic pattern of political repression." 

The statement added that the violations included the use of excessive force, the pursuit of peaceful protesters, the storming of civilian homes, and the arrest of at least 41 people until February 8, in addition to turning Seiyun Airport into a military detention site and raiding STC headquarters and looting their contents.

STC branches in several governorates also condemned the pursuit of journalists and participants in the demonstration, describing the measures taken against the protesters as a "violation of the rights of peaceful expression." 

These condemnations followed a series of incidents in the city of Seiyun, including home raids, among them the home of the director of STC media in Wadi Hadramout in the city of Tarim, Amjad Subeih, and the arrest of activists following their participation in the mass rally supporting the STC.

The Feb 6 mass demonstration in Seiyun had seen protesters raise flags of the South as well as photos of President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidrous Al-Zubaidi.