The Houthi group abducted prominent lawyer Abdulmajid Sabra in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday, reportedly over social media posts, according to local and human rights sources.
Sabra is one of Yemen’s most prominent defense lawyers for detainees and forcibly disappeared persons held in Houthi prisons, and has represented clients in several high-profile cases, including that of the eight detained journalists.
On Wednesday, Sabra posted on Facebook criticizing the group’s hostility toward the September 26 Revolution and affirming Yemenis’ right to celebrate the historic event, which he described as a turning point that restored their freedom and dignity.
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) condemned the abduction, calling it “a crime targeting human rights work and the internationally guaranteed right to legal defense.” The organization held the Houthis fully responsible for Sabra’s safety, demanded his immediate release, and urged the United Nations and the international community to intervene.
Sabra’s abduction is part of a wider crackdown launched by the Houthis in Sanaa and several other provinces ahead of the 63rd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, targeting activists, journalists, and writers. The campaign has been accompanied by threats from the Houthi-run Interior Ministry about alleged “hostile plots” and “readiness to thwart them,” while the Tribal Affairs Authority called for a “general mobilization.”
The group also abducted tribal leader Harith Al-Hashhar in Amran after he shared the revolution’s slogan on WhatsApp, as well as journalist Majid Zaid, writer Oras Al-Iryani, and several residents in the Hamdan area.
Human rights organizations condemned the wave of arrests and demanded the release of all detainees, describing the campaign as part of a broader repressive policy aimed at silencing hundreds of Yemenis seeking to mark the revolution’s anniversary and raise the national flag. The groups said the Houthis are attempting to erase the legacy of the September Revolution and revive a rejected “Imamate” project.
