The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have sentenced 13 people to public execution over homosexuality charges, with another 35 people detained for similar charges. The ruling was made in Ibb, a Houthi-controlled province, from which the group has been launching attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea since October 7. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reported that the Houthis have a history of sentencing more people to death than they actually execute, with a total of 350 death sentences since 2014, only 11 of which have been carried out. A Yemen researcher for Human Rights Watch stated that the Houthis are escalating their abuses at home while the world is preoccupied with their attacks in the Red Sea. The UN Security Council also reported that the Houthis are detaining children as young as 13 years old, with some accused of ‘indecent acts’ based on their alleged homosexual orientation. In addition to their domestic abuses, the Houthis have also disrupted a fifth of global shipping since October with their attacks in the Red Sea, leading to widespread repercussions for international trade.
Report: Houthis sentence 13 to public execution for homosexual charges
