Yemen: Young man dies under torture in Houthi prisons

A young man died under torture in the prisons of the Houthi militia in Sanaa, northern Yemen, just 24 hours after his abduction.

The young man, Issam Al-Zurf (18 years old), died last Sunday inside one of the Houthi's prisons, one day after being kidnapped from his farm. The Director of the Human Rights Office in the Capital Secretariat, Fahmi Al-Zubairi said Thursday in a post on his own Facebook.

"Issam was guarding his farm when the Houthi militia raided the area and looted it in Bani Hushaish District. Al-Zubairi added.

Human rights reports indicate that Houthi prisons in Yemen are among the most egregious places for human rights violations, where detainees are subjected to various forms of psychological and physical torture, including severe beatings, electric shocks, deprivation of food and water.

Reports from local and international human rights organizations have shown that hundreds of abductees have died inside Houthi prisons since the outbreak of the war in Yemen, which began following the Houthi coup on September 21, 2014, with the causes of death often resulting from brutal torture or deliberate medical neglect.