UAE-Backed Forces Yemen Detain Key Investigators

UAE-backed forces in Yemen have detained members of Yemen’s National Commission for the Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights, raising alarm over escalating obstruction of accountability efforts. On January 27, 2026, investigators were held for approximately three hours after visiting an unofficial detention facility operated by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Socotra. They were later released but ordered not to return to the site.

The detention marks a serious interference with the Commission’s mandate to investigate abuses linked to Yemen’s prolonged conflict. According to one Commission member, the detention center visited in Socotra was “among the worst things [the Commission] has seen,” underscoring the gravity of alleged violations taking place inside such facilities.

Secret Detention Centers and Abuse Allegations

Reports from Human Rights Watch and Associated Press have previously documented the existence of secret detention sites operated by UAE-backed forces in southern Yemen. These facilities are alleged to be locations where arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and ill-treatment have occurred.

In a further troubling development, STC forces reportedly detained two former detainees whom the Commission had previously interviewed. This move raises fears of retaliation against witnesses and survivors cooperating with human rights investigations.

Niku Jafarnia, a Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that the STC has for years maintained secret prisons where individuals have been arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared. The detention of official investigators, she warned, reflects a widening pattern of obstruction and abuse that demands international scrutiny.

Accountability and International Responsibility

The situation highlights broader concerns about Yemen detentions and the role of foreign-backed forces operating outside transparent legal frameworks. The United Arab Emirates has supported armed groups in southern Yemen, including the STC, as part of the regional coalition involved in Yemen’s conflict. Allegations that these forces are maintaining secret prisons deepen concerns over violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

Blocking independent investigators from accessing detention facilities undermines efforts to document abuses and pursue justice. International legal standards require that detention centers be subject to oversight, that detainees have access to due process, and that allegations of torture or enforced disappearance be thoroughly investigated.

The ongoing developments in Yemen demonstrate the urgent need for transparency, independent monitoring, and accountability. Without meaningful oversight, patterns of arbitrary detention and abuse risk continuing unchecked.