Sanaa, Yemen, Mar 24, 2020 / 15:40 pm
A Yemeni appeals court run by Houthi rebels on Sunday upheld the death sentence of a member of the Baha'i religion. The court also ordered the dissolution of Baha'i institutions.
Hamed bin Haydara was detained by Houthi rebels in 2013, and was denied access to a March 22 appeal hearing in Sanaa which upheld an earlier death sentence.
"This alarming decision is an egregious violation of religious freedom and the fundamental rights of Yemeni Baha'is," Gayle Manchin, vice chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, said March 23. "USCIRF has been long concerned with the welfare of Mr. bin Haydara and the Yemeni Baha'i community. We call on Houthi authorities to immediately reverse this verdict and cease their baseless persecution of this peaceful religious minority."
According to USCIRF, bin Haydara was charged with "with spying for Israel, teaching literacy classes deemed incompatible with Islam, and attempting to convert Muslims."