Houthis Arrest Group of Protesters Opposing Economic Conditions

Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced that they have arrested several individuals who protested against the difficult economic situation in Sana'a. Reuters reported that these protests took place on Saturday (October 6) and dozens of people, including 16 women, were arrested in this context. The Houthi-supported news agency, Saba News, stated that security forces arrested a number of 'mercenaries' who intended to harm 'public peace' in Sana'a by spreading 'rumors.' According to Reuters, rising prices in Yemen have made it difficult for many people to secure basic goods, and state banks are struggling to pay government employees' salaries; many of whom rely solely on this for their livelihood. The Yemeni rial has lost half of its value since the war began in 2015. The prices of essential items have multiplied, and thousands of government employees have not received their salaries and benefits for over a year. Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Iranian leader and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, recently told the Iranian people: 'Let us learn from the Yemenis how to resist against threats and sanctions. Instead of wearing loincloths and holding weapons, they have a few pieces of dry bread in their hands and walk on foot, and the Saudis have been helpless against them.' The Houthis have also faced criticism from the United Nations for the harassment of Baha'is in the country. Amnesty International condemned the trial of 24 Baha'is in Yemen, including several women and teenagers, by the Houthi court on charges of espionage. Lynn Maalouf, the Middle East Research Director at Amnesty International, stated that it is likely these Baha'is could face the death penalty following 'extremely unfair' trials. The Houthi leader has attacked Baha'is in his speeches, describing them as 'satanic.' According to the Baha'i delegation to the United Nations, several Baha'is have been arrested and tortured by the Houthis, and their illegal detention has cut off their communication with the outside world. The Iran-supported Shia Houthis have controlled the city of Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, since 2014, while the international community still recognizes the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi as the legitimate government of the country. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia, with U.S. support, has been involved in the Yemeni civil war since 2015 to defend Hadi's government against the Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia and its allies temporarily blocked all Yemeni ports to prevent the shipment of weapons to the Houthis, which led to food shortages and famine in the country. The Saudi-led military coalition also completely besieged Yemen after monitoring and destroying a missile fired from Yemen towards Riyadh, which faced warnings from United Nations officials. As a result of the war in Yemen, over 10,000 civilians have been killed, and more than 2 million people have been displaced. Additionally, malaria has spread in the country, and Yemen is on the brink of famine. The conflicting parties in Yemen accuse each other of human rights violations.