Amnesty International Condemns the Trial of Bahá'ís by Yemen's Houthis

On Tuesday, September 17, Amnesty International condemned the trial of 24 Bahá'ís in Yemen, including several women and minors, by the Houthi rebels on charges of espionage. According to the Associated Press, Lynn Maalouf, the director of research for Amnesty International in the Middle East, stated that it is likely these Bahá'ís could face the death penalty following 'severely unfair' trials. The trial of Bahá'í citizens in Yemen began on Saturday and is scheduled to continue on September 29. A lawyer involved in the case, who requested anonymity due to fear of persecution, reported that the judicial process has been expedited and most defendants have been tried in absentia, as only five of them are in custody. The Bahá'í faith was founded in 1844 by an Iranian named Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, known as Bahá'u'lláh, and followers of this faith regard him as a prophet. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, Bahá'ís have faced pressure and persecution. The Shiite Houthis, supported by the Islamic Republic, have controlled a large part of Yemen since 2014, pushing back the country's government and declaring an all-out war against all political and religious opponents, resulting in the arrest of thousands. Reports indicate that torture is common in Houthi detention centers. The Houthi leader has attacked Bahá'ís in his speeches, labeling them as 'satanic.' According to the Bahá'í representative office at the United Nations, several Bahá'ís have been arrested and tortured by the Houthis, and their communication with the outside world has been cut off during their illegal detention. A prominent Bahá'í figure in Yemen has also been sentenced to death on charges of collaborating with Israel. In 2016, over 60 women, men, and children participating in a training session held by Bahá'ís in Yemen were arrested. Bani Dougal, the main representative of the Bahá'í International Community at the United Nations, expressed concern in a statement, stating that the charges against those detained by the Houthis indicate a 'severe escalation' of pressure on this religious minority. She also noted that the targeting of Bahá'ís by the Houthis 'eerily recalls the persecution and torture of Bahá'ís in Iran in the 1980s, during which Bahá'í community leaders were rounded up and killed.' In this context, Diane Ala'i, representative of the Bahá'í International Community in Geneva, stated: 'It is distressing that Iranian officials systematically persecute their citizens for their religious beliefs; however, it is entirely abhorrent and ugly that these same officials also persecute citizens of other countries abroad, especially in a country facing a humanitarian crisis.'