Iran-backed Houthis suspend work of civil society organisations

A directive issued by the Iran-backed Houthis (Ansarallah) that suspends the issuance of licenses and annual renewals to civil society organisations violates the freedoms guaranteed under Yemen's constitution, experts told Al-Mashareq.

The directive, issued November 5th by the Houthis' Supreme Political Council, orders that no license be issued to, or renewed for, any civil society organisation, institution, association, coalition or trade union until further notice.

The directive was signed by Ahmad Hamed, the manager of the office of the presidency, who was appointed by the Iran-backed Houthis, and addressed to the Houthis' Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Obeid Salem bin Dubei.

Emergency cases must be included in the ministry’s monthly reports, it said.

"The issuance of new licenses to civil society organisations or associations is still suspended by the higher authorities," said Hameed Muawdha, director-general of the department of civil society organisations and associations at the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Social Affairs in Sanaa.

Muawdha claimed the move was initiated by the ministry.

Move contravenes constitution

Legal experts told Al-Mashareq the suspension of license issuance and renewal to civil society organisations is an attempt to restrict their operations.

The move contravenes both the current constitution of Yemen, ratified in 1991 and amended in 2001, and the draft constitution submitted in January 2015.

The move also directly contravenes an October 24th statement, signed by more than 20 civil society and human rights organisations operating in Yemen, that calls for the lifting of restrictions on local and international organisations.

In 2016, the Houthi authorities instructed all local organisations to obtain approval before entering into any agreements with international organisations or implementing any activities with these entities.

This stipulated that all activities carried out with international NGOs or international funding must fit within the programme plans of the Houthis' Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation, the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law said in a November 14th report.

Attempts to restrict freedoms

These kinds of restrictions have been seen in countries such as Iran, which is closely aligned with the Houthis, lawyer and activist Abdul Rahman Barman told Al-Mashareq.

"In 2011, following the eruption of the Arab Spring revolutions, some civil society organisations in Iran demanded freedom of expression," he said.

In response, the Iranian parliament issued legal provisions to limit the activity of civil society organisations, established a higher committee to oversee civil society activity and closed numerous organisations, Barman said.

The work of civil society organisations in Yemen often conflicts with the interests of countries such as Iran, and armed groups such as the Houthis, he said.

"There can be no harmony between civil society organisations and the Houthis, because these organisations will expose and document the crimes committed by the militia," he said.

"The essence of the work of civil society organisations is to advocate freedom, elections and peaceful struggle, while armed groups such as the Houthis believe only in violence," Barman added.

This was made clear by the Houthis' coup of 2015, he said.

A ban on all civil activities

The Houthis rule the areas they control "with an iron fist", and do not allow any civil society activity they do not control or that does not serve their interests, said Musa al-Nimrani, media official for the National Organisation for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD).

"The Houthis previously made a similar move when they took control of a number of districts in Saada province," he told Al-Mashareq.

"They banned all civil activities and organisations, seized control of mosques, disrupted local councils and closed courts," he said.

These entities had been helping the people, some of whom had been adversely affected by the Houthis' policies, he said.

They also "exposed some of the oppression and injustice practiced by the Houthis against people in the areas under their control", he added.

"Thus, eliminating such organisations became a priority for the Houthis, who want to totally remove from the public sphere any entity that does not answer to them," al-Nimrani said.