The file of Emirati violations in Yemen’s Hadramout Governorate remains open, revealing shocking facts as Yemen’s National Commission—affiliated with the internationally recognized government—continues to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. Since 2016, the commission has documented cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, having heard testimonies from more than 100 victims as part of its ongoing investigations.

Ishraq Al-Maqtari, a member of the commission and its official spokesperson, said in media statements that the commission has so far received three reports of sites suspected to be linked to mass graves of victims of these violations. She confirmed that investigation teams have begun verification and scrutiny procedures to ascertain the accuracy of these reports.

Al-Maqtari explained that the commission is working to accompany a number of victims of detention and torture to the detention sites where they were previously held, with the aim of documenting the nature of the violations and accurately identifying the methods used against them during their periods of detention.

She noted that the majority of victims’ testimonies revealed a recurring pattern of deliberate abuse and violations of human dignity during interrogations, adding that many victims questioned the reasons for what they were subjected to in the absence of any legal justification.

She added: “When we ask victims what they are demanding, they go beyond their physical and psychological pain and affirm that their foremost demand is the restoration of their dignity and the accountability of those responsible for these violations.”

Al-Maqtari indicated that the commission intends to expand the scope of its investigations to include other governorates, including Aden, Lahij, and Socotra, despite the sense among Hadramout’s residents that the harm inflicted upon them was greater, as she put it. She pointed out that the commission has documented unlawful practices accompanied by grave violations of the rights to liberty and personal security, freedom of opinion and expression, as well as detention outside the framework of the law.

The commission’s spokesperson stressed that its work is based on a systematic investigation grounded in international standards, in preparation for compiling comprehensive legal case files that can be referred to the national judiciary or any other legal avenue that enables the pursuit of justice. She suggested that a comprehensive report on these violations is likely to be issued within the next two months.

Al-Maqtari stated that the commission has received reports concerning six illegal detention and arrest centers in Hadramout Governorate, explaining that these centers were originally official public service facilities that were converted into places for deprivation of liberty outside any legal framework.

She added that recent political, security, and military developments have helped break the barrier of silence and amplify the voices of victims, allowing the truth to emerge more clearly. She emphasized the need to listen to as many former detainees and victims of enforced disappearance as possible, which prompted the commission to hold a public collective hearing session, followed by individual and group sessions.

According to victims’ testimonies, some of the most prominent unlawful detention centers in Hadramout—previously run by forces affiliated with the United Arab Emirates—include Al-Rayyan Airport, Al-Dhabba Port and Military Camp, the Presidential Palace, Al-Rabwah Camp, as well as Security Support camps that were led by Abu Ali Al-Hadrami, one of the leaders of the now-dissolved Southern Transitional Council.

Ishraq Al-Maqtari affirmed that the testimonies heard by the commission were “extremely painful,” saying: “We did not expect to encounter this scale of violations in Hadramout.”

During the hearing sessions held by the commission in the city of Mukalla, victims recounted the circumstances of their arrests, reporting that they were taken from their homes, workplaces, or public streets and transferred to secret detention sites without informing their families or allowing them to communicate with them for varying periods. They were then subjected to ill-treatment and multiple forms of physical and psychological violence, which in many cases resulted in permanent disabilities, psychological disorders, and long-term health effects.