Yemen: IFJ joins calls for the removal of Abdulqader Al-Murtadha from Muscat negotiations

On 10 December, four recently freed Yemeni journalists addressed an urgent appeal to the UN Secretary-General, demanding the exclusion of Abdulqader Al-Murtadha (head of the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee) and his deputy Murad Qasem from the ongoing negotiations in Muscat, Oman, on the issue of abducted and detained persons in Yemen. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) supports this call.

Yemeni Huthi official Abdel Kader al-Murtadha (C) attends a meeting to discuss a prisoner swap deal between the Yemeni government and the Huthi rebel movement, in the Jordanian capital Amman, on January 17, 2019. Credit: Khalil Mazraawi / AFP

The round of negotiations started on 11 December in Muscat.

In their letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the four journalists, Abdulkhaleq Amran, Tawfeeq Al-Mansouri, Harith Hameed and Akram Al-Waleedi, report that they suffered torture, enforced disappearance and inhumane treatment during their eight years in detention. They state that Al-Murtadha and his deputy were directly involved in these abuses.

They recall that Al-Murtadha was added to the US sanctions list on 9 December 2023 for grave human rights violations against abductees. They note that the UN Security Council Panel of Experts documented acts of torture and enforced disappearance linked to Al-Murtadha in its 2 November 2023 report. The journalists also share their own testimonies, describing direct violence including the severe beating of journalist Tawfiq Al-Mansouri in August 2022, which resulted in permanent injury.

The IFJ recalls that, despite warnings from international organisations, including the IFJ, the Houthis have repeatedly violated all international conventions and norms regarding the treatment of prisoners. "Including individuals accused of serious violations against journalists and civilians in a humanitarian negotiation process sets a dangerous precedent and risks damaging the credibility of the United Nations", the federation warns.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said:

'We demand the immediate exclusion of Abdulqader Al-Murtadha and his deputy, Murad Qasem, from the ongoing negotiations. Anyone implicated in torture, enforced disappearances or the mistreatment of journalists cannot be granted legitimacy as a negotiating partner. We urge the United Nations to protect victims, uphold international law, and publicly condemn violations against journalists and other abductees to avoid any perception of impunity."

The IFJ insists that the UN Special Envoy ceases all engagement with these individuals and avoids granting them any negotiating legitimacy.