GENEVA – Geneva Council on Rights and liberties (GCRL) welcomes the report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen and calls for immediate international mechanisms to hold accountable parties to the conflict accused of war crimes to provide justice and justice for victims.
GCRL highlights the range of potential war crimes committed by various parties to the conflict over the past five years through airstrikes, catholic shelling, snipers and landmines, as well as arbitrary killings and detentions, torture, sexual and gender-based violence and obstruction of humanitarian access. Amid the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Panel of Experts established by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that the governments of Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Houthis and their Popular Committees, benefited from the “lack of accountability” for violations of international humanitarian law.
Experts have found reasonable grounds to believe that hostilities led by parties to the conflict, through airstrikes and shelling, continue to seriously affect civilians, and that a large part of these attacks may amount to serious violations of international humanitarian law.
In addition to violations related to the conduct of hostilities, the Panel of Experts found reasonable grounds to believe that parties to the armed conflict in Yemen are responsible for the arbitrary deprivation of the right to life, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, sexual violence, torture, ill-treatment, child recruitment and abuse. Fundamental freedoms and violations of economic, social and cultural rights. They amount to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as appropriate.
Many of these violations may result in the individual being held responsible for war crimes if referred to as an independent and competent court.
The Panel of Experts expressed grave concern that the parties to the conflict had used hunger as a means of warfare, as these actions contributed to depriving the population of vital things to their survival.
“Five years after the conflict, violations against Yemeni civilians continue unabated, with the plight of the people and the absence of any international measures to hold the parties to the conflict accountable,” said Kamal Jendoubi, head of the Panel of Experts on Yemen.
“The international community must redouble its efforts to free the Yemeni people from the ongoing injustice they are suffering,” Jendoubi said.
“Five years after the conflict, abuses against Yemeni civilians continue unabated, with the plight of the people and the absence of any international action to hold the parties to the conflict accountable,” said Kamal Jendoubi, head of the Panel of Experts on Yemen.
“The international community must redouble its efforts to free the Yemeni people from the ongoing injustice they are suffering,” Jendoubi said.
Jendoubi stressed that “impunity can no longer be tolerated – for violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict, and impartial and independent investigations must be enabled to hold accountable those who do not respect the rights of the Yemeni people, and the international community must stop turning a blind eye to these violations.” Violations and the humanitarian situation that is no longer portable. ”
GCRL joins the UN Panel of Experts on the immediate necessity of all acts of violence against civilians, in violation of applicable international human rights and humanitarian law, and calls on the parties to take action to protect civilians and ensure justice for all victims.
The Council stresses the need to provide international accountability mechanisms for crimes against civilians in Yemen and to call on other States to refrain from providing weapons that can be used in a conflict under their obligations under international humanitarian law.
