Tag: Houthi

Israel Continues Strikes on Lebanon, ‘105 Killed in 24 Hours’

Four people were additionally killed in Israeli strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.

New Delhi: The Palestinian group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has said that three of its members were killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon capital Beirut’s Kola district.

Four people were additionally killed in Israeli strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, the Houthi-run health ministry in Yemen said.

The attack, which has yet to be confirmed by Israel, would be the first attack within Beirut’s city limits by Israel since it began conducting strikes in Palestine’s Gaza last year. Israel has now been targeting Lebanon in what it claims are pre-emptive strikes against the armed group Hezbollah. The strikes have killed close to a thousand people, injuring several thousands and displacing close to half a million.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry on September 29 said that 105 people had been killed in Israeli strikes over a 24-hour period.

Five people killed in Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, reported Al Jazeera, were civil defence personnel with the Islamic Health Authority.

The PFLP is a secular left-wing group, aligned with Hezbollah. Both groups support Hamas. The group said in a statement that its military security chief Mohammad Abdel-Aal, military commander Imad Odeh, and a third member, Abdelrahman Abdel-Aal were killed in the strike.

Reuters news agency cited witnesses as saying that the strike hit the upper floor of an apartment building.

A day ago, Israel killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

With inputs from DW.

Indian Navy Rescues Crew of US-Owned Vessel After Houthi Attack in Gulf of Aden

The drone strike on the US-owned vessel Genco Picardy is the second such attack in recent days. It follows US-led strikes against the Houthis in response to their targeting of merchant ships in the Red Sea.

New Delhi: The Indian Navy on Thursday successfully rescued the crew of the US-owned vessel Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi movement, Reuters reported.

Following the attack on the US Genco Picardy late on Wednesday, the US military said its forces had conducted strikes on 14 Houthi missiles that “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.”

According to Reuters, the Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and have threatened to target US ships in response to American and British strikes on the group’s positions.

DW reported that the drone strike on the Genco Picardy is the second such attack in recent days. It follows US-led strikes against the Houthis in response to their targeting of merchant ships in the Red Sea.

Following the latest attack, India diverted a warship to rescue the 22 crew members on the Genco Picardy, all of whom are reported safe.

The attacks target a route that accounts for about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic and acts as a vital conduit between Europe and Asia.
The alternative shipping route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope can add 10-14 days to a journey compared to passage via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, Reuters said.

US, UK Strike Iran-Backed Houthi Targets Across Yemen After Red Sea Attacks

According to US President Joe Biden, the US and UK launched ‘united and resolute’ response against Houthis together with the support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

The United States and Britain on Friday began carrying out strikes against sites used by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

US officials said targets included logistical hubs, air defence systems, and weapons storage locations. US media reported that the strikes involved fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.

The Houthis are backed by Iran and control large swathes of western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

Biden hails ‘united’ response to ‘reckless’ Houthi attacks

US President Joe Biden said the strikes represented a “united and resolute” response to Houthi attacks on international ships and that the US would “not hesitate to direct further measures” against the militant group.

“The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute,” he said in a statement released by the White House.

Biden said the US and UK strikes were carried out with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

“These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes,” he said.

In a separate statement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed the strikes, saying the UK took “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence” in order to “degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping”.

“Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea,” he said.

Houthi official warns of retaliation

Meanwhile, Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi vowed retaliation involving dozens of drones.

“The response to any American attack will not only be at the level of the operation that was recently carried out with more than 24 drones and several missiles,” he said. “It will be greater than that.”

“We will confront the American aggression,” he said.

Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein Al Ezzi said in a statement posted by the rebels’ Al Masirah broadcaster that the US and UK will pay a “heavy price” for the strikes.

“Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes,” he said.

“America and Britain will have to be prepared to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression.”

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea

Houthi rebels have, in recent weeks, launched numerous attacks on international ships in the Red Sea in reaction to the Israeli military operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The route through the Suez Canal accounts for around 15% of the world’s shipping traffic.

The US military said Thursday that Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. This was the 27th attack by the group since November 19.

The US and its allies have issued a series of warnings to the Houthis to cease their attacks on ships. On January 3, 12 countries warned the group of “consequences” if they did not halt the attacks.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution demanding an immediate end to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

This article first appeared on DW. Read the original here. 

US Launches Red Sea Force Against Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis

The multinational coalition comes as major shipping companies halt their shipments through the region, where Houthi rebels have attacked commercial vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

A multinational naval force will be deployed in the Red Sea to defend against attacks from Houthis that have disrupted international shipping routes, United States defence secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday.

“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” Austin, who is on a trip to Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s headquarters in the Middle East, said.

Dubbed “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” the US-led coalition will include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

They will reinforce a US and Egyptian-led force already operating in the region.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels defiant

The Iran-backed Houthis began targeting ships along the key route in response to Israel’s war on Hamas.

On Tuesday, the militants said they would not halt attacks on Red Sea shipping despite the announcement of the new maritime protection force.

“Even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world, our military operations will not stop… no matter the sacrifices it costs us,” senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on X, formerly Twitter.

He added that the group would “respond to any aggression with military operations that are unprecedented.”

In the last four weeks, Houthi militants have attacked or seized commercial ships 12 times and still hold 25 members of the MV Galaxy Leader hostage in Yemen, according to the US.

The UN Security Council discussed the Houthi threat on Monday but took no immediate action.

Companies halt shipping in the Red Sea

About 12% of world shipping traffic usually transits via the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, passing into the Red Sea waters off Yemen.

The shipping company Maersk announced that it had decided to reroute its ships around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

On Monday, oil giant BP said it paused shipments through the Red Sea, pushing up oil prices.

The US military’s Central Command reported two attacks on commercial vessels on Monday. According to the military, a tanker off Yemen was hit by an attack drone and a ballistic missile at about the same time that a cargo ship reported an explosion in the water near them.

This article was originally published on DW.


Saudi Aramco Petroleum Storage Site Hit by Houthi Attack, Fire Erupts

The Iran-aligned Houthis have escalated attacks on the Saudi’s oil facilities, with the very recent being Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station.

Riyadh: Yemen’s Houthis said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities on Friday, March 25, and the Saudi-led coalition said oil giant Aramco‘s petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah was hit, causing a fire in two storage tanks but no casualties.

A huge plume of black smoke could be seen rising over the Red Sea city where the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is taking place this weekend, an eyewitness said.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have escalated attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities in recent weeks and ahead of a temporary truce for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The coalition has repeatedly said it is exercising self-restraint in the face of the attacks, but launched a military operation in Yemen early on Saturday saying it aimed to protect global energy sources and ensure supply chains.

A coalition statement on state media on Friday said the fire had been brought under control. Flames could still be seen in live footage aired by Saudi-owned Ekhbariya television channel.

The Saudi energy ministry said the kingdom strongly condemned the “sabotage attacks”, reiterating that it would not bear responsibility for any global oil supply disruptions resulting from such attacks, state news agency SPA reported, citing an official in the ministry..

The ministry blamed Iran for continuing to arm the Houthis with ballistic missiles and advanced drones, stressing that the attacks “would lead to impacting the Kingdom’s production capacity and its ability to fulfil its obligations to global markets”. Teheran denies arming the Houthis.

There was no immediate comment from Aramco.

The coalition said its Saturday airstrikes targeted “sources of threat” in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. [L2N2VT00H]

The attacks came as Jeddah was hosting the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The dense black smoke could be seen from the race circuit, a Reuters witness said.

Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali told drivers and team bosses that the Grand Prix would go ahead as planned, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Vital Facilities

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group launched missiles on Friday at Aramco‘s facilities in Jeddah and drones at the Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries, and said it had also targeted “vital facilities” in Riyadh, the capital.

Saudi state media earlier said the coalition had foiled a string of Houthi drone and rocket attacks. Saudi air defences also destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Jizan, which caused a “limited” fire at an electricity distribution plant.

The Houthi escalation comes as the United Nations special envoy tries to secure a temporary truce for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that starts in April, and ahead of Riyadh’s hosting Yemeni parties for consultations later this month.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the attacks on ally Saudi Arabia, and said the United States would continue to work with Riyadh to strengthen its defences while working for a durable resolution to the conflict in Yemen.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia Says It’s Not Responsible for Any Oil Shortage From Houthi Attacks

“At a time when the parties should be focused on de-escalation and bringing needed life-saving  relief to the Yemeni  people ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, the Houthis continue their destructive behaviour  and reckless terrorist attacks  striking  civilian infrastructure”, Blinken said.

Last weekend a Houthi assault on the kingdom caused a temporary drop in output at a refinery and a fire at a petroleum products distribution terminal. On March 11, the group targeted a refinery in Riyadh, causing a small fire.

The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.

The conflict, widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

(Reuters)

Yemen: Explosion at Marib Kills At Least 12, Saudi-Backed Govt Blames Houthi Forces

The Marib region is the last northern stronghold of the Saudi-backed government, which has been at war against the Iran-aligned Houthi forces since 2014.

Cairo: At least 12 people were killed on Saturday in an explosion near a petrol station in the Yemeni city of Marib, which members of the Saudi-backed government blamed on a missile strike by Houthi forces.

A medical source told Reuters that dozens of people, many of them badly burned, had been taken to Marib General Hospital and 12 of them had died of their injuries, including five children.

“The rest are receiving treatment and we expect the number of victims to rise,” the source added.

Confirming the explosion, the Marib Governorate blamed the incident on a missile fired by the Houthi militia fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s civil war. It said on Facebook that 14 people had been killed.

The health and information ministers in the internationally recognised Yemeni government also blamed Houthis for the attack.

“More than 17 killed and injured, including this child burned by Houthi Rocket (attack) on Marib city today,” Health Minister Qasem Buhaibeh wrote on Twitter alongside a picture of a burned figure.

The Houthi forces could not be reached for comment.

The Marib region is the last northern stronghold of the Saudi-backed government, which has been at war against the Iran-aligned Houthi forces since 2014.

A Marib resident told Reuters the explosion was near a fuel station in the Shabwani market on the outskirts of Marib.

“The fire broke out while many people were there and there was a large number of casualties. Ambulances and firefighters came and many of the injured were taken to hospital,” the resident said.

Saudi state TV El-Ekbarayia quoted the Yemeni army as saying Houthis had “targeted civilians in Marib with a ballistic missile and a drone.” Yemen’s information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, made similar accusations and put the death toll at 17.

Fighting over Marib and its vast gas fields has killed thousands of fighters from both sides and threatened years of peace efforts.

The US has accused the Houthis of worsening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis by attacking Marib.

The civil war, which has been in a military stalemate for years, has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

(Reuters)

In the Middle of a Pandemic, Iran Dials Up Persecution of Its Baha’i Citizens

In recent weeks, at least 71 individuals across the country have been arrested, summoned to court, tried, sentenced to jail or imprisoned – solely for their beliefs.

New Delhi: Even as the pandemic has yet to release its death grip on the world, the persecution of the Baha’is, a religious minority, has been dialled up in Iran this month with at least 71 individuals across the country being arrested, summoned to court, tried, sentenced to jail or imprisoned – solely for their beliefs.

The Baha’is have long faced persecution in countries like Iran, Yemen, Egypt and Afghanistan over their beliefs. This latest round of prison sentences, incarcerations and a media campaign of hatred comes at the heels of a court official threatening to “uproot” the Baha’is in the city of Shiraz during a recent hearing held for a group of Baha’is. The court then proceeded to sentence the Baha’is on trial to one to 13 years in prison.

In fact, in recent weeks, 40 Baha’is in Shiraz, whose cases were pending for months, have been summoned to court, representing an unprecedented number of court summons against Baha’is in a single city in recent years.

“Such an outrageous statement by an official is an obvious demonstration of the religious bigotry and prejudice that the Baha’is in Iran face. It is also clear evidence of the injustice against the Baha’is within the judicial system and the authorities’ true motivation,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in New York.

Also read: With a Mass Trial, the Persecution of Baha’is in Yemen Continues Unabated

“Not only does it show the absence of the rule of law and the severe discrimination with which the Baha’i’s are treated in Iran’s justice system, its purpose is to intimidate the Baha’is, placing heavy psychological pressures on those directly targeted, as well as their families and all Baha’is in Iran,” she said.

Not just in Shiraz, Baha’is in Birjand, Yazd, Karaj, Ghaemshahr, Kermanshah and Isfahan have also been arrested, summoned to court, tried, sentenced to jail or imprisoned solely for their beliefs in recent weeks. According to Iran Press Watch, these arrests are taking place “while there have been several cases of COVID-19 contagions, and even deaths from the virus in various Iranian prisons including Qarchak Prison, Urmia Central Prison, Sheiban Prison, Tehran’s Evin Prison, the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, and Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison in northeastern Iran”.

Among the Baha’is sentenced in Birjand is an elderly man whose age puts his health at great risk if he is imprisoned. Some individuals, who were taking care of family members when summoned to court, were forced to travel on public transportation during the widespread lockdowns. Another couple who have been sentenced to prison have a daughter who has cancer, leading to deep concern for her care should they be imprisoned. 

“The recent incidents have placed great pressures on hundreds of families,” said Dugal. “Subjecting them to the constant threat of imprisonment under these circumstances and emotional anguish associated with it is yet another attempt to place greater strain on the community. And to do all this during a health crisis, at an alarmingly escalated rate without any justification whatsoever, is extremely cruel and outrageous.” 

Iran’s state-affiliated media have also stepped up the public defamation of the Baha’is through an increasingly coordinated spread of disinformation, a press release from the Baha’i International Community says. Television channels, newspapers, radio stations and social media have been saturated with articles and videos denigrating Baha’i beliefs.

In all, more than 3,000 articles of anti-Baha’i propaganda were recorded by the Baha’i International Community so far this year, the figures doubling from January to April.

There are an estimated 350,000 adherents of the Baha’i faith in Iran, according to July 2019 UN special rapporteur to Iran, Javaid Rehman, making it the country’s biggest religious minority.

Baha’is interviewed by the UN “described a variety of violations that they had been subjected to, including the closure of shops; the firebombing of homes; arbitrary arrest; torture and other ill treatment whilst in detention; and discrimination whilst studying at university,” according to Rehman’s report.

More than 200 Baha’is have also reportedly been executed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution for reasons related to their religion. While the religion started in Iran, it has rapidly expanded since its founding. It has an estimated five million to seven million followers worldwide, with a large concentration in India and the US.

“Threatening to ‘uproot a community’, trying its members en masse, re-incarcerating them during a pandemic, and spreading hateful propaganda against them is a shocking and profoundly troubling development,” said Dugal. 

“How can Iran’s government honour its sacred duty to the wellbeing of its people if it aims to uproot a community of law-abiding citizens? The Baha’is targeted in these incidents, and indeed all Baha’is facing discrimination, are innocent and must be free of religious persecution,” she said.

The documentation nightmare

The removal of the “other religions” option from national identity card application forms dealt another blow to the Baha’i minority in Iran in January 2020.

Despite the level persecution of persecution the minority community faces, Bahai’s are forbidden by their faith to lie about their religion. This means that the new identity card application prevents them from applying for and obtaining official identification, as they cannot claim affiliation to one of the three legally recognised minority religions.

Also read: Baha’i Man Sentenced to Public Execution in Yemen. His Crime? Practicing His Faith

Not being able to procure a national identity card compounds the problems of the community – without it, they are unable to obtain credit cards, driver’s licenses, passports and other official documentation.

Who are the Baha’is?

One reason clerics in Iran have targeted the group with such zeal is the fact devout Muslims see the Baha’i faith as heresy and an insult to the teachings of Islam. The religion started in 1844 in the southern city of Shiraz when a man named Bab announced the coming of a messenger of god. In 1863, one of Bab’s followers named Baha’ullah declared himself to be the messenger and began preaching a message of unity among faiths. His followers were attacked and he spent years in exile, dying in the city of Acre, in what was then Palestine, in 1892.

During most of the 20th century, the monarchs ruling Iran tolerated Baha’is, though there were periodic arrests and attacks against members of the community, according to historians.

After the Islamic Revolution, the group was targeted again. While Jews and Christians were recognised as religious minorities under the new constitution, the Baha’is were not. Hundreds of Baha’is were expelled from universities or had their businesses attacked or their properties confiscated.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Yemen: Houthi Rebels Claim Capture of ‘Thousands’ of Saudi Troops

Saudi authorities are yet to confirm the development.


Yemen’s Houthi fighters have claimed a major raid resulting in the capture of “thousands” of enemy troops, including many officers and soldiers of the Saudi army, as well as hundreds of armoured vehicles and weapons.

Houthi military spokesman Yahia Sarie told the Houthi-run al-Masirah broadcaster on Saturday that three “enemy military brigades had fallen” in the operation. He said the offensive was supported by drone, missile and air defense units.

“This is the largest operation since aggression started on our country,” he said.

The operation, reportedly near the southern Saudi region of Najran, has not been confirmed by the Saudi-led coalition leading the fight against the Houthis. The Houthis have offered no visual evidence for their claims.

Also read: Saudi Aramco Blast: Kingdom to Seek Action Against Iran at UN General Assembly

Five Years of War

Houthi rebels have been battling Yemeni government and coalition forces in the northern Saada province in recent months, and have reportedly captured scores of Yemeni forces near the Saudi border.

Saudi Arabia has lead a coalition fighting the Iran-backed group since 2014, but has suffered several setbacks in recent months, most notably when half its oil production was shut down by an attack on a major Saudi oil facility earlier this month.

Houthis have claimed the attack on the oil facility, but Saudi Arabia and major Western nations have blamed Iran directly for the strikes. There are fears the latest operation could hamper United Nations efforts toward peace talks.

Tens of thousands of people have died in the war and millions of people are at risk of famine and disease in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation.

The article was originally published on DW. You can read it here. 

The Never-Ending Trial of Baha’i Prisoner Hamid bin Haydara in Yemen

A dark cloud continues to hang over Haydara’s appeal against public execution, even as 30 more academics and political figures were sentenced to death this July.

In an alarming turn of events, 30 of 36 academics and political figures on trial in Yemen have been handed death sentences on “charges of espionage for Saudi Arabia and its allies in the international coalition”, Amnesty International reported on July 9.

In a statement, Amnesty called the trial a “mockery of justice and slammed the judiciary for having been turned into “a tool of repression, evidently incapable of dispensing impartial justice”.

According to witnesses present at the court and “to the surprise of the legal defense team, the judge speedily read out the charges on which they were convicted, most of which carry a mandatory death sentence under Yemeni Criminal Law… before formally sentencing 30 to death and acquitting and releasing six others”, Amnesty reported.

The Haydara case

July 9 was also the day that Hamed Kamal Muhammad bin Haydara was brought to court to appeal against the death sentence handed to him in January 2018.

Last year, Haydara was sentenced to public execution by a specialised criminal court in Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital Sana’a.

The sentence came on the back of years of torture and detention at the hands of the National Security Bureau. Haydara, who has been in Houthi detention in Sana’a since 2013 on the charges of espionage and apostasy, is one among 2,000 Baha’is in Yemen.

According to the Bahá’í International Community, in its latest missive, the trial continues to be a travesty of justice. Haydara was notified of his latest hearing only the night before July 9.

In Yemen, an Islamic society, the constitution recognises no other religion barring Judaism. Since 2014, rights organisations have called out the discrimination against the Baha’is, a peaceful religious minority, in Yemen time and again.

Also read: Baha’i Man Sentenced to Public Execution in Yemen. His Crime? Practicing His Faith

Beyond the charges of apostasy, the Iranian-backed Shiite rebels also allege that Haydara is a spy for Israel and an Iranian citizen who crossed into Yemen in 1991 using a false name – even though his wife has provided documentation that he was born in Yemen in 1964.

Many of the other Baha’is in prison hold leadership positions in the Baha’i community in Yemen. According to reports, the official charges against some of the current prisoners include ‘showing kindness to the poor’ and ‘displaying good behaviour’.

In Yemen, which, according to UN, is the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world” with more than 22 million people – three-quarters of the population – “in desperate need of aid and protection”, the Baha’i community has witnessed increased harassment since 2014 under the watchful eye of Tehran.

In a televised speech in 2018, the leader of the Houthis Abdel-Malek al-Houthi denounced the Baha’i faith as “satanic”, and stated that it was “waging a war of doctrine” against Islam. He urged Yemenis to defend their country from the Baha’is and members of other religious minorities.

In the aftermath of the speech, the hate being spewed surged. A prominent Houthi strategist tweeted that “we will butcher every Baha’i”.

Members of the Baha’i faith face persecution from the Houthi rebels, who control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Photo: Reuters

Yemen’s internationally-recognised government has repeatedly pushed for the release of the imprisoned Baha’is, but the rebels have yet to respond.

“Hamed Haydara has been falsely charged with spying for Israel and for forging official documents,” a Yemeni government official told The National in March. “The Houthis are fabricating criminal charges against innocent members of the Baha’i faith. They are being falsely accused of espionage.”

Pointing to the flawed system of justice in Yemen in the case of Haydara, Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director said in a statement in 2018:

“He is a prisoner of conscience who has been tried on account of his conscientiously held beliefs and peaceful activities as a member of the Baha’i community. This sentence is the result of a fundamentally flawed process, including trumped up charges, an unfair trial and credible allegations that Hamid Haydara was tortured and ill-treated in custody. It is also part of a wider crackdown on critics, journalists, human rights defenders and members of the Baha’i community that is causing entire families to live in fear for their safety and the safety of their loved ones.”

UN human rights representatives have also called for the rebels to overturn his death sentence several times since last year.

“We cannot accept the injustice of having anyone punished by death on the grounds of his religion or belief and for belonging to a religious minority,” UN experts said on April 29, a day before Haydara’s court date. “Not only would such a sentence amount to a serious violation of an internationally protected human right, but the court would also be sending a wrong signal to the whole nation and the world if it upheld the decision of a death sentence against Haydara.”

On July 8, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom tweeted:

A never-ending trial

According to the Bahá’í International Community, in September 2014, it was learnt that Haydara “had been forced to sign several documents while blindfolded and been subjected to repeated torture, including being beaten and electrocute”.

By any yardstick, Haydara was hardly given a fair trial, as can be seen by how it was dragged on for years by prosecutor Rajeh Zayyed, “who, on various occasions, demonstrated extreme prejudice against the Baha’is and blocked medical treatment requests for Haydara”.

It was only in January 2015, more than a year after he was arrested from his workplace in December 2013, that formal charges were framed against Haydara.

Also read: With a Mass Trial, the Persecution of Baha’is in Yemen Continues Unabated

Several court dates were scheduled for 2015, but Haydara did not appear again in court until November 8, 2015, due to medical concerns. The December court hearing was cancelled as the judge was on leave.

In 2016, Haydara appeared in court at least six times. Finally in April 2016, the judge permitted Haydara to receive medical treatment. Over the next two years, the prosecutor was changed, documentation provided, and more hearings were cancelled and postponed.

Finally, on January 2, 2018, the Specialized Criminal Court issued a ruling that sentenced Haydara to death. Since then, the appeals process has hit many road bumps. On January 1, 2019, Haydara again stated in court that the charges were based on “lies and false accusation”.

Ahead of the April 30 hearing, local and international rights groups questioned the credibility of the charges and called on Yemeni authorities to “immediately quash” the sentence.

In April, the US Department of State also raised concerns over “credible reports that the Houthis continue to severely mistreat, arbitrarily detain, and torture Baha’is in Yemen”.

“This persistent pattern of vilification, oppression, and mistreatment by the Houthis of Baha’is in Yemen must end.” Morgan Ortagus, a spokesperson for the United States Department of state, said in a statement.

India Condemns Drone Attacks Targeting Oil Installations in Saudi Arabia

India’s statement came on the same day that Saudi Arabia formally pointed finger at Iran.

New Delhi: Even as Saudi Arabia publicly accused Iran of ordering an attack on Saudi oil pumping stations, India on Thursday “condemned” the drone attack, accompanied with a reiteration about fighting “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”.

On May 14, state-run Saudi Aramco shut down the east-west pipeline, after the drone attack led to a minor fire.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday that India “strongly condemns the drone attacks on May 14, 2019, targeting oil installations in Saudi Arabia”.

“We reiterate our resolve to fight terrorism and violence in all its forms and manifestations,” he added.

India’s statement came on the same day that Saudi Arabia formally pointed finger at Iran.

Saudi deputy defence minister Khalid Bin Salman tweeted on Thursday that that attack showed that the Houthi militias “are merely a tool that Iran’s regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region”. His cabinet colleague, minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir stated that “Houthis are an indivisible part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and subject to the IRGC’s orders”.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdul Salam had earlier claimed responsibility for the drone strikes, saying that they were a response to Saudi Arabia’s “continued aggression” and “genocide” in Yemen.

The drone attack had happened just two days after four vessels were “damaged” off the coast of United Arab Emirates. The four vessels include two Saudi oil tankers, Norwegian registered tanker and a UAE-flagged bunker barge. So far, UAE has not publicly blamed any country for the March 12 incident.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia-led military coalition carried out air strikes on the Yemeni capital on Thursday. As per local media, six civilians have died in the airstrikes which targeted military installations.

Tensions in West Asia have been rising since the United States, along with Saudi Arabia and UAE have sought to ratchet up the pressure on Iran. After re-imposing sanctions, the US had declared IRGC as a terrorist organisation and indicated that there was a credible Iranian threat that warranted diverting US warships to the Gulf.

Also read: Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Says No Need For Immediate Action After Iran Oil Waivers End

Iranian foreign minister Javed Zarif had held talks with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Monday as part of his diplomatic drive to talk to shareholders about the recent developments and Iran’s steps to suspend commitments under nuclear deal.

The region is of strategic concern to India, which has over 9 million strong diaspora working in six Gulf nations. Further, India’s energy security is secured largely through crude imports from west Asia, that will certainly be impacted by any outbreak of conflict and rising oil prices.

Sources said that India’s statement does not take sides between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Rather, they pointed out that Saudi Arabia has been a strong supporter of India against terrorism and security issues; Riyadh had been one of the first countries to quickly issue a statement condemning the bomb attack on Indian security personnel in Pulwama on February 14.