Orders had been given for his released by the State Security criminal prosecution, but the Political Security forces continued to reject them for over a year due to lack of evidence. During this period, he was never subject to any legal proceedings; rather, the authorities continued detaining him in complete violation of judicial orders. The family conditionally appealed for his bail nearly a month previous to hi release, but the Political Security services continued to stall up until his liberation.

Alkarama had previously submitted his case to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) on 5 August 2008.

Abdullah Al-Rimi's arrest occurred under peculiar circumstances on 3 April 2008, during a Police Academy award ceremony, at which the Al-Waqf minister was present. During the ceremony, which took place in Sana'a at the Police Academy ballroom, Abdullah Al-Rimi was intended to receive a prize when State Security forces escorted him out of the ballroom, arrested him, and took him to the Political Security forces headquarters in Sana'a. At the time of his arrest he was neither presented with a warrant, nor was he given the reasons for his arrest.

The next day, his family tried to find out the reasons for his arrest, but on the same day, the authorities, as well as the media, accused Abdullah Al-Rimi of being the leader of terrorist group of individuals who had escaped Sana'a's central prison.

After the accusations had been published, the authorities soon realized that they had the wrong man! They had confused his name with that of another suspect.

The Al-Rimi family thought that Mr Al-Rimi would immediately be released after the authorities had admitted to the blunder and after reports of the mistake were published in the local news. Despite all this, he remained in custody. In response to the family's request, the President and the Parliamentary Vice-President sent an official letter to the head of the Political Security services.

The State Security forces refused for over a year to set Mr Al-Rimi free, even after a request for his release by the Prosecution, due to the absence of information surrounding his arrest. Despite this official demand, Mr Al-Rimi was held in the State Security prison without ever being subject to any legal proceedings.

Eventually, family members were able to visit him, however, only in the presence of Political Security officers, which explains the time limitations on visits and ill-treatment that he suffered at the hands of his captors.

Following his release, in an address to the Alkarama's representative in Sana'a, Mr Al-Rimi expressed his thanks, as well as that of all his family for the organization's efforts on his case.
He has preferred not to mention the details of the treatment he received whilst in prison, for fear of being arrested again, but sources close to the family confirmed that he was subject to abusive, cruelty and inhumane treatment.

It should be noted that the Yemen ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 9 February 1987 and the Convention against Torture on 5 October 1991.