CAIRO: Yemen ‘s Houthi rebels released actor and model Intisar Al-Hammadi after nearly five years in prison over charges of committing an indecent act and drug possession in a case rights groups said was ” marred with irregularities and abuse,” her lawyer said Sunday.
Al-Hammadi was detained in the capital Sanaa in February 2021 and sentenced to five years in prison after a Houthi-run court convicted her of committing an indecent act and having drugs in her possession. Her detention and trial showcased the Houthi repression of women and dissent in areas under their control in war-torn Yemen.
Lawyer Khalid Al-Kamal said Al-Hammadi was released on Saturday after she spent nearly five years in the Central Prison in Sanaa.
An online statement signed by dozens of public figures in Yemen welcomed her release and called on the Houthis to provide health care for Al-Hammadi.
Al-Hammadi, 25, was arrested along with three other women. Al-Hammadi and another woman, Yousra Al-Nashri, were sentenced to five years, while the two other women received one and three years in prison.
Human Rights Watch had criticized the court proceedings as arbitrary and lacking due process.
Born to a Yemeni father and an Ethiopian mother, Al-Hammadi worked as a model for four years and acted in two Yemeni soap drama series in 2020. Before her imprisonment, she was the sole breadwinner for her four-member family.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have ruled Sanaa and much of Yemen’s north since 2014, when they marched from their northern stronghold of Saada province and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. Since then, Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, has been in a state of civil war.
A Saudi-led coalition that included the United Arab Emirates entered the Yemen war the following year in an attempt to restore the government. The war has been stalemated in recent years and the rebels reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that stopped their attacks on the kingdom in return for ceasing the Saudi-led strikes on their territories.
Both the Houthis and the internationally recognized government have cracked down on opposition and restricted women’s movement. They barred women from traveling between the country’s provinces, and in some cases from traveling abroad, without have a male guardian’s permission or being accompanied by an immediate male relative, according to HRW.
Houthis release Yemeni actor after she spent nearly 5 years in prison
https://arab.news/mxwth
Houthis release Yemeni actor after she spent nearly 5 years in prison
- Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released actor and model Intisar Al-Hammadi after nearly five years in prison
- Her lawyer announced the release Sunday. Al-Hammadi was detained in February 2021 in Sanaa and sentenced for committing an indecent act and drug possession
Oman and Lebanon call for full Israeli withdrawal, urge end to attacks
- Joseph Aoun and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq make a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory
- Reaffirmation of the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his Omani counterpart Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Wednesday made a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and a full withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands, warning that continued violations pose a direct threat to regional stability.
The statement came during a high-level summit in Muscat, where both leaders voiced “serious concern over the ongoing Israeli aggression” and described the occupation as a “clear violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and other international resolutions.
The two sides also expressed support for international efforts to de-escalate tensions, stabilize the situation on the ground, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and advance post-conflict reconstruction.
Aoun led a Lebanese ministerial delegation to Oman that included Lebanon’s ministers of foreign affairs, interior, defense, health, and agriculture for talks with Omani officials.
The joint statement emphasized the strengthening of bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in key sectors including politics, the economy, investment, banking, tourism, transport, and logistics.
Both sides called for early preparations to hold the first session of the Omani-Lebanese Joint Committee, chaired by the two foreign ministers in Muscat, and to pursue new agreements and memorandums of understanding intended to enhance collaboration in trade, culture, and science. The statement also highlighted the need to boost private sector engagement in shared development opportunities.
The Omani side reaffirmed its full support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as for strengthening Lebanese state institutions, particularly the army and legitimate security forces, and backing the country’s ongoing economic, financial, and administrative reforms.
The two sides reaffirmed the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They also underscored the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity, respecting the sovereignty of states, and upholding the principles of good neighborliness and international law.
Aoun’s official visit to Oman took place within the context of Muscat’s established role as a regional and international mediator. During his meetings, Aoun praised Oman’s diplomatic standing and approach, describing it as “wise and responsible.”
He commended Oman’s foreign policy, grounded in dialogue, mediation, balance, and good neighborliness, saying it had earned the sultanate a “distinguished status and a pivotal role in promoting stability and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.”
Aoun said that, in Lebanon, “we hold this wise approach in high regard and deeply value the sultanate’s steadfast support for Lebanon in various international forums, as well as its support as we confront the challenges before us.”
For his part, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq reaffirmed Oman’s continued commitment to Lebanon’s stability and its close monitoring of the latest developments in the country.
He emphasized the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and coordination. The sultan also praised the positive contributions of the Lebanese community in Oman.
On the sidelines of the visit, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar held a meeting with his Omani counterpart Hamoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi at Al-Alam Palace in Muscat. They underlined the enhancement of joint cooperation, particularly in security and policing.
According to a joint statement, the discussions also covered Lebanon’s efforts to consolidate internal security and maintain stability.
Participating on the Omani side in the expanded talks were Al-Busaidi; Shihab bin Tarik Al-Said, deputy prime minister for defense affairs; Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, foreign minister of Oman; Hamad bin Said Al-Aufi, head of the private office; Mahad bin Said Ba’owain, minister of labor and head of the honorary mission; Saud bin Hamoud Al-Habsi, minister of agricultural, fisheries and water resources; and Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, minister of health.
