On 28 August 2015, Al Humaiqani was on the way to visit his mother in a village in the Bayda Governorate when arrested at a checkpoint in Rada'a by armed men in civilian clothes. The men did not present any legal document, did not explain the reasons for the arrest and brought Al Humaiqani to an unknown location.

Shortly after the arrest, his family was informed by former inmates of the Qala'a detention centre, controlled by the Houthi-Saleh Coalition, that they had seen him there and that he was subjected to torture. The family went to seek the help of the Bayda Governorate, who then requested the Houthi-Saleh security supervisor in the governorate to release Al Humaiqani's, but to no avail.

Following these efforts, Alkarama seized the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), calling upon it to ensure that the Houthi-Saleh Coalition is asked to immediately release Al Humaiqani and at the very least end his incommunicado detention and treat him humanely. Moreover, Alkarama is strongly concerned about the systematic practice of arbitrary arrests, secret detentions, denial of fundamental judicial rights as well as torture and ill-treatment, committed by the Houthis-Saleh forces. Alkarama requested the Working Group to recall in a public statement that such practices, if systematic and widespread, can be considered as crimes against humanity and trigger individual criminal responsibilities under international law.

As such, the Houthi-Saleh Coalition forces should make sure to:

• Respect all detainees' fundamental rights in accordance with Article 3 of the Geneva Convention;
• Apply human rights standards and treat all individuals under their control humanely.

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