This is not the first time that this active campaigner for human rights of 36 years was arrested, abducted and arbitrarily detained by the Yemeni Intelligence Service. Alkarama had already submitted his case to the UN Special Procedures in June 2007, as he had been held incommunicado for 75 days between May and August 2007, accused of being a sympathizer of the Al-Houthi movement.

It was mid-afternoon on 14 July 2009 when National Security officials, accompanied by soldiers, raided his home and held his wife and children hostage for seven hours in a room, while officers searched and ransacked the premises. They ended by confiscating all of the victim's belongings.

Maammar Al-Abdelli was then disappeared for four months and his family was neither able to obtain any information as to his whereabouts nor were they ever told the reason for his arrest. Despite having undertaken various legal measures with the Prosecutor General and National Security services, no information was ever given - those responsible refused to acknowledge his detention. Yemeni NGO "Hood", in a vain attempt to help the family even wrote to the Attorney General, Dr. Al-Alafi and to the Head of Political Security, General Al-Kamsh.

It was only in 13 November 2009 that his family was finally able to visit him for the first time at the Political Security prison in Sana'a, to where he had been transferred on the same day and remains unto this day. His relatives were able to learn that after his arrest he was held incommunicado by the Security Services.

The victim's family is especially worried about his health. During their last visit in December 2009, Maammar Al-Abdelli appeared to be very thin and suffering from a severe chest infection with the visible signs of torture to which he had been exposed while in custody.

No legal procedures have taken place since last December when he was first brought before the Prosecutor of the State Security Court. Alkarama is fretful that Maammar Al-Abdelli will be the victim of an unfair trial, to be sentenced on the basis of fabricated charges and confessions extracted under torture.

There is no doubt that the Yemeni government targeted Maammar Al-Abdelli because of his endless resolve in defense of prisoners of conscience in Yemen and his continued denigration of human rights violations committed by the Yemeni authorities.