Support and mobilization
for two french men arbitrarily detained in Yemen
since May 7th and 8th 2014
We are the two families of these two french/tunisian men who are arbitrarily detained since more than a year and 5 months in Yemen, that is to say 508 days. (670 days now since this letter was first written)
They have been living in Yemen; in the small, quiet and peaceful fishing village of Shihr for about 10 years. Their wives are yemeni women and each of them have 4 young children.
They have always led a quiet life, we were always in contact with them and they regularly visited us at home in France. When needed, they visited the competent authorities for their administratrive procedures which have always gone well, in Yemen with the local authorities and the french and tunisian consulates, as well as in France and Tunisia.
This, until the tragic events in May 7th and 8th, 2014, the days where they were arbitrarly arrested. They are, initially, victims of enforced disappearance* and held incommunicado by the yemeni authorities.
The first of the two men, had to go to Sanaa (a Yemeni city) for administrative papers: the tunisian consulate had previously contacted to inform him that his youngest child's passport was ready and that he could come pick it up. The morning of May 7th 2014, he took a plane to go to the Tunisian consulate of Sanaa.
After the estimated time of landing, we had no news from him, he didn't call us and we could not reach him, his phone was turned off, which never happened before. At this moment, we still did not know what happened to him. He never reached the consulate. Since then, we never heard his voice again.
As for the second man, he was then in France, he went to visit his parents, especially his father who's sick and hospitalized. He took a plane from Paris back to Yemen on the 8th of May 2014, to go back to his wife and children. Once he landed to the Ryan Mukalla Airport, strangely enough he's escorted back to the plane and transferred to Sanaa without any given reason. From that point, we won't have any news of him again.
On the morning of Friday, May 9th, 2014, families and friends wake up full of worries and questions. It is then, in a great bewilderment, that we learn by the yemeni medias (in the first place) the news. Many french medias then rush to quickly relay this web of lies without properly checking the authenticity of such claims nor taking account of the reality of the issue.
Shocked, the inhabitants of Shihr mobilize themselves in order to shed full light on the truth. They know very well these two fathers, living among them for many years and with whom they have a really good relationship.
They refuse to be silent, they spontaneously support them, testify, sign, deny these false allegations and affirm that it is an obvious mistake.
By only a few days after that, the yemeni medias proclaim the innocence of our children : the two french men that have been arrested in Yemen have no connection whatsoever with terrorism, and they never attempted in any way to flee the country. It is a completely fabricated lie.
A glimmer of hope appeared then, we were confident that they would quickly be released now that the light has been shed on their situation. However, as the days go by, the more they are forgotten. Much to our regret, and until this day, we would not see any french media relay the yemeni information regarding their innocence.
While we knock on every door, more than 4 months would pass in a absolute silence. Where are they? Who are detaining them? What is the reason? How are they? Nobody is able to inform us about their condition, not even the french and tunisian embassies that we quickly contacted. The only information that the french embassy in Sanaa has given us, was that the yemeni authorities can held their suspects in detention for a period of time going until 3 months.
They stayed like this more than 4 months, without having the right to be assisted by a counsel, that we have yet instructed, and without knowing the charges held against them. Which is in violation to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
More than 120 days have passed without any news. The yemeni authorities refusing to the counsel the right to assist them, to talk to them or to see them... and this until now.
After this long waiting of more than 4 months, the latter learned where they were and who were detaining them, and he informed us about it immediatly. The tunisian representative will be the first one to visite them, followed by the french representative.
In France, we have experienced great difficulties to reach the competent authorities. It is only after 7 months after their arrest, and through our french lawyer, that the contact is finally made, after several requests to the relevant departments. But no action, or in any case: no result.
In early February, 2015: after 10 months of arbitrary detention, a deportation agreement to France is signed. After that, a date is fixed at February 8th, 2015 between the yemeni authorities and the french representative, but no member of the reprensation will show up. Therefore it is postponed to Thursday the 12th of 2015. Once again, nobody will show up to them.
Shocking, on friday the 13th 2015, the french embassy closed down its doors in Yemen and left the country!
While the country is sinking into civil war, that many french citizens (as well as other nationalities) living in Yemen are repatriated in a state of emergency. As for them, they are left behind with utter indifference!
We have never doubted and are still convinced, for we are really really close to our children, that it is a miscarriage of justice, an amalgam that the authorities would not want to admit! And for this reason, they want to expel them but without a real reason.
Since 508 days, we are fighting every day that goes by, and we face every difficulties and obstacles for our children to recover their freedom, serenity and dignity, for their children to get back their fathers, for that their most fundamental rights cease to be violated in this puzzling indifference.
It's been now 8 months that they are waiting, when they should have already been deported and repatriated if the french representative had done their duty to their fellow citizens and french nationals, at the same time when they took the decision to close down the embassy and leave the Yemen!!!
Until when are we going to let this injustice remain?
After 508 days (now it's been 670 days) of arbitrary detention, the yemeni authorities have held no criminal charges against them. They are only waiting that the relevant authorities manifest themselves to proceed of their deportation to France.
Until when are they going to let them like that, without putting forward proper means and a real mobilization to make their return to France truly real?
The situation is all the more serious given that the conflict in Yemen gets closer and closer to Sanaa, the city where they are arbitrarly detained. The population fled from the country's capital, and to date we have no way of hearing from them.
Every minute that goes by is one minute too many! Do not forget them and let's all of us mobilize together to move this forward!!
To everyone that show us support in the face at this injustice:
Thank you for your help and mobilization!
You can start to help right now by signing this petition to ask the french representative, that deal with the french nationals in Yemen, to manifest themselves and help to bring Taha and Mourad back in France, click on this link: Sign the petition: Représentation française chargée des ressortissants au Yémen : manifestez-vous afin qu'ils soient libérés !
*
Enforced disappearance:
Enforced disappearance (also called forced disappearance) is, according to article 2 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance: « is considered to be the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law. »
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was adopted on 20 December 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly. It states that the enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity (in Article 6). The family of the disappeared can seek for redress and ask particularly to know the truth about the fate of their relatives.
Under the terms of article 1, paragraph 2 of this same convention is stated: « No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for enforced disappearance. ».
Arbitrary detention
Arbitrary detention is a crime in which an authority deprives a person of liberty without a legal basis. Arbitrary detention is prohibited by Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
« No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. »
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. 9)