Front line is concerned for the safety of human rights defender Mr Ali Hussain al-Dailami, who has reportedly been receiving direct threats and nuisance calls and messages in reaction to his role in the ongoing campaign for the release of detainees related to the Sa’da conflict. Ali Hussain al-Dailami is the executive director of the Yemeni Organization for the Defence of Democratic Rights and Freedom, and was previously a victim of detention and alleged torture in 2006.

Further Information

During a sit-in on 31 March 2009, Ali Hussain al-Dailami was reportedly approached by an officer of the Political Security Apparatus (PSA), who threatened Ali Hussain al-Dailami that he would soon be a “guest” of the PSA because “he went too far in crossing the red lines”. Ali Hussain al-Dailami mentioned the threat in his speech at the same sit-in. Since then, and as a result, he has been receiving threatening and abusive telephone calls and text messages. He filed a complaint with the Minister of the Interior and provided a list of telephone numbers from which he had been receiving the calls and messages.

Front Line believes that these threats and harassment are an attempt to hinder his legitimate and peaceful activities in the defence of human rights, especially the rights of the detainees.