The group of prominent international and regional UN experts on Yemen said that "all parties to the conflict continued to ignore international law and the lives, dignity and rights of people in Yemen," calling on the UN Security Council to refer the Yemen file to the International Criminal Court.

In its third report on the human rights situation in Yemen between July 2019 and June 2020, which was published under the title “Yemen: Pandemic of Impunity in a Tortured Land,” the Group of Experts concluded that all parties to the conflict continued to Committing a range of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The team of experts stressed that there are no clean hands in this conflict, stressing that the Saudi-Emirati coalition, the Yemeni government, the Houthis and the Southern Transitional Council have all committed crimes and violations against humanity.

The UN report included human rights violations committed by the warring parties in Yemen, including arbitrary deprivation of life, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, rape and sexual abuse, the recruitment and use of children in hostilities, and the denial of the right to a fair trial, which are Actions that may amount to war crimes.

The head of the expert group, Kamal Al-Jendoubi, said, "After years of documenting the heavy price of this war, no one can say: We did not know what was happening in Yemen."

"Responsibility for these violations rests with all parties to the conflict, which are the Yemeni government, de facto authorities (Houthis), the Southern Transitional Council, and members of the Saudi and Emirati coalition," committee member Melissa Park told reporters.

Coalition crimes The


three experts urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Yemen to the International Criminal Court for possible trials, and to expand its list of individuals covered by sanctions.

The group of experts concluded that some of the airstrikes launched by the Saudi-Emirati coalition were carried out without observing the principles of distinction, proportionality, and caution and caution to protect civilians and civilian objects.

He pointed out that these attacks include one of the bloodiest air strikes in 2020, which the coalition launched on February 15th against a village in Al-Hajjah district in Al-Jawf governorate, "which resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 civilians, dead and wounded."

The Panel notes that disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks constitute war crimes under customary international law.

The Group of Experts investigated the implications of landmines unlawfully planted by the Houthis.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthi group ousted the internationally recognized government from power in the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

The conflict in Yemen is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Aid agencies say more than 100,000 people have been killed, and millions are on the brink of starvation.

The role of the West and Iran


In a related context, the United Nations experts confirmed that the weapons supplied by Western powers and Iran to the warring parties in Yemen are fueling the conflict that has been going on for 6 years.

"Countries including Britain, Canada, France, Iran and the United States continue to support the warring parties, including the transfer of arms, and thus help prolong the conflict," the report said.

"We added Canada this year because there was a slight increase in Canadian arms sales in 2019," said committee member Ardi Emsis, adding that Spain, Poland and Italy also sold weapons.

The Group of Experts renewed its call to all countries of the world to stop transferring and selling weapons to all parties to the conflict in Yemen.