Yemen: Education International demands the immediate and unconditional release of three teachers who face execution
Education International (EI) demands the immediate and unconditional release of three Yemeni teachers, Ismail Mohammed Abu al-Ghaith, Saghir Fareh, and Abdulaziz Al-Uqeili, who face imminent execution by the Houthi authorities in Yemen. The three teachers, who are members of the EI-affiliated Yemeni Teachers’ Syndicate, have been arbitrarily sentenced to death following a sham trial based on forced confessions.
The Yemeni teacher union has informed EI that the Houthi authorities, which maintain control over key Yemeni provinces, have delivered execution orders against the three teachers. The union states that the teacher activists have been denied all protections guaranteed by the Yemeni Constitution, national laws, and international human rights instruments.
The so-called judicial process was conducted by Houthi controlled bodies under the “Supreme Political Council”, disregarding Yemen’s recognised governing institutions. The Houthi courts are used to suppress dissent and consolidate control. The sham trial was based on forced confessions obtained under severe physical and psychological torture and lacked the most basic standards of justice and fair trial.
EI joins the YTS in demanding the unconditional halt of these executions and the immediate release of the detained teachers.
Education International has appealed to the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO and the International Labour Organization. EI is also coordinating with the International Trade Union Confederation and leading human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Frontline Defenders and the International Federation for Human Rights, to amplify calls for urgent action.
Violent attacks on teachers threaten education, peace, justice, and the fundamental human rights of all. Education International stands in unwavering solidarity with the Yemeni Teachers’ Syndicate and with all educators facing persecution and intimidation. We reaffirm our commitment to defend the right to teach and learn in conditions of safety and dignity, particularly in times of war and conflict.
