Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that information obtained from a recent visit to detained lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra raises serious concerns regarding his physical and psychological well-being. The organization reported a visible injury to his chin and, according to his testimony, repeated threats aimed at forcing him to relinquish his human rights casework. These developments occur within the context of his prolonged detention, marked by the denial of fundamental legal safeguards, restrictions on communication with his family and legal counsel, and the absence of transparent judicial proceedings to justify his continued detention.
The organization explained that a relative of Sabra was recently able to visit him following his transfer to a detention facility affiliated with the Security and Intelligence Service in the Madhbah area of Sana’a. He appeared severely fatigued and noticeably pale compared to the previous visit. A recent wound on his chin, stitched with surgical sutures, was also observed, with no official explanation provided regarding its cause or the circumstances under which it occurred. This raises serious concerns that he may have been subjected to ill-treatment or excessive use of force during his detention.
According to the visitor’s testimony, Sabra reported being subjected to three direct threats while in custody, centered on demands that he abandon his human rights defense work and cease pursuing the cases under his responsibility. He spoke in a tone reflecting the extent of oppression and psychological pressure he faces, referring to harsh treatment that has left both physical and moral impacts. SAM considers that, if substantiated, these allegations could amount to grave violations of international human rights law, particularly the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
This alarming development forms part of a continuing pattern of violations against lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra since his arbitrary arrest on 25 September 2025, when armed personnel raided his office in the Shumaila area of Sana’a and took him to an undisclosed location, confiscating his personal belongings. The arrest occurred less than twenty-four hours after he publicly expressed critical views related to freedom of expression and discriminatory practices in authorizing political events—a step SAM considered at the time a dangerous indicator of escalating repression and the targeting of human rights voices.
During his detention, the organization received an urgent distress appeal from Sabra’s family in December 2025, reporting that he had begun a hunger strike after being returned to solitary confinement and denied visitation, amid an alarming deterioration in his health. The family confirmed that Sabra informed them in a brief communication of his hunger strike and severe suffering, while no clear legal procedures or formal charges had been presented to justify his continued detention or the deprivation of his fundamental rights, including contact with his family and lawyer and access to necessary medical care.
SAM stresses that targeting lawyers because of their professional and human rights activities constitutes a serious undermining of the foundations of justice and the rule of law and sends direct intimidation messages to defenders of rights and freedoms. Under international standards, lawyers must be able to perform their professional functions without intimidation, harassment, or improper interference. Any attempt to coerce them into abandoning their clients’ cases or halting their human rights work represents a flagrant violation of the independence of the legal profession and fair trial guarantees.
The organization called for an immediate, serious, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sabra’s injury and the threats he reported, to be conducted by an impartial judicial body under the oversight of independent monitoring mechanisms. This should include granting the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant human rights organizations access to verify the situation and ensuring accountability for anyone found responsible for violations. SAM further urged that Sabra be granted without delay urgent and independent medical care, allowed regular communication with his family and lawyer, and held in humane conditions consistent with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).
SAM emphasized the necessity of providing full and effective protection for lawyers and human rights defenders in Yemen, noting that ongoing violations against them further weaken the justice system, entrench a climate of impunity, and undermine any genuine prospects for redress and accountability.
The organization also renewed its call on the international community—including the United Nations, relevant UN mechanisms, and the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of opinion and expression and on the situation of human rights defenders—to closely monitor the case of lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra and take concrete steps to press for compliance with applicable legal standards, ensure his safety, and secure his release.
SAM concluded its statement by affirming that the dignity of detainees and their physical and psychological integrity are neither procedural nor marginal matters, but rather legal and moral obligations that must not be compromised under any circumstances. The organization warned that disregarding such serious allegations threatens what remains of public confidence in justice institutions and undermines prospects for victim redress and the protection of human rights defenders.