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Saudi Attack on Yemen Prison Kills Nine Detainees in Al-Hazm — AI-generated representative image. A damaged building and debris in a Yemeni town following a reported strike.

Editorial Team

Rights center condemns Al-Hazm prison strike as a violation of international humanitarian law amid renewed Saada attacks

A Saudi attack on a prison in Al-Hazm, the capital of Yemen's Al-Jawf province, killed nine detainees, prompting condemnation from the Ain Al-Insaniya Human Rights Center, which described the strike as a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Abdulqader Al-Murtada, head of Yemen's National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, confirmed the casualties on Monday, saying the facility was targeted the previous night.

The attack came amid a reported intensification of Saudi strikes across several Yemeni provinces, with new missile attacks also reported on residential areas in Saada province.

The strike on a detention facility has drawn sharp criticism because it targeted people deprived of their freedom, which the rights center said breaches international conventions regardless of any justification. The development underscores the continuing civilian toll of the conflict in Yemen, where border provinces such as Saada have endured repeated air, missile and artillery attacks since 2015.

Key Developments

The Ain Al-Insaniya Human Rights Center said the Saudi attack on the Al-Hazm prison constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law because the facility held people deprived of their freedom. The center stated that targeting prisoners and detention facilities, regardless of justification, was an apparent violation of international conventions and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Abdulqader Al-Murtada said the nine prisoners killed had been captured during what he described as recent events, adding that their names would be released soon. He referred to the "criminal Saudi regime" in his remarks about the overnight attack.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Al Masirah television reported new Saudi attacks on residential areas in Saada province, including a missile strike on the Talan residential area west of Haydan district and missile attacks on Al-Dhahir district and its surroundings.

Background and Context

Saada, in northern Yemen along the Saudi border, has repeatedly come under Saudi air, missile and artillery attacks since the Saudi military campaign against Yemen began in 2015. Haydan and Al-Dhahir are among the border districts of Saada that have been repeatedly affected by these attacks.

Al-Jawf, in northeastern Yemen, has repeatedly witnessed clashes and attacks, with Al-Hazm serving as the province's capital. Yemeni reports have said Saudi attacks have intensified across several provinces during the latest escalation, while the Yemeni Armed Forces have responded by targeting Saudi military bases and Aramco facilities.

Rights Center Findings and Official Statements

The Ain Al-Insaniya Human Rights Center describes itself as a human rights organization working to monitor violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yemen, and it has published reports concerning crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies in the country.

According to the center, the latest attack came amid an increase in Saudi attacks on several Yemeni provinces, particularly Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Ma'rib. The center reiterated that targeting a prison holding prisoners constituted a violation of international law and the conventions governing the treatment of detainees.

What Lies Ahead

The names of the nine detainees killed in the Al-Hazm prison attack have not yet been released, but Abdulqader Al-Murtada said they would be announced soon. The rights center has called for those responsible for the attack to be held accountable. Further details on the full extent of the latest strikes across Saada and other provinces remain unconfirmed.