Peaceful protests over worsening economic conditions in Aden, south Yemen, were met with an arbitrary ban, undermining the right to assembly and ignoring the root causes of public discontent, according to a joint statement by The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the Yemen Coalition for Human Rights (YCHR).
Both CIHRS and YCHR condemn the recent imposition of a sweeping ban on public protests, enacted 17 May by authorities in Aden and considered it “unlawful measure” adding it represents a clear violation of fundamental human rights, particularly the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in both the Yemeni constitution and international legal standards.
The joint statement explained that residents of Aden have been taking to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand urgent governmental action. Instead of addressing these legitimate grievances, the authorities have recently opted to suppress public dissent by prohibiting demonstrations altogether – a response that fails to address the underlying causes of the protests and further exacerbates public anger.
The joint statement concluded that “Aden authorities’ response risks criminalizing peaceful dissent and further alienating a population already suffering from acute socio-economic distress, calling on the local authorities to immediately rescind the protest ban and engage constructively with citizens to address their urgent needs, particularly access to electricity, water, and economic relief.