Yemen’s Human Rights Body Condemns Saudi Airstrike in Taiz as War Crime

The Human Rights body called for an international investigation into the damage inflicted on civilian property and the terror caused among women and children.

The strike took place on Sunday evening in central Al-Turbah, in the Al-Shamaytayn district of Taiz province, causing extensive damage to residents’ property, according to a statement issued by the organization on Monday.

The organization said the attack on a densely populated residential area, where it said there were no indications of military installations, constituted a clear violation of international law and humanitarian principles.

It slammed Saudi Arabia for pursuing a policy of collective punishment against Yemenis, arguing that the targeting of homes was intended to undermine the resolve of Taiz residents.

In its statement, the organization held Saudi Arabia fully responsible for the attack and characterized it as a war crime under the four Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.

Against this backdrop, the organization called on the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council and the UN special envoy to Yemen to explicitly condemn the strike, warning that silence would embolden further attacks.

It also urged domestic and international human rights organizations to send field teams to Al-Turbah to document the damage and collect witness testimony.

The statement further criticized the international community over continued arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, indicating that weapons supplied to the kingdom had been used to kill Yemenis in their homes.

The organization stressed that such crimes should not be subject to statutes of limitations and that those responsible should face prosecution regardless of how much time had passed.

Concluding its statement, the organization said the attack would not weaken Yemenis’ determination to resist, but would instead reinforce their commitment to freedom and independence and to expelling Saudi and Emirati forces from all Yemeni territory.