Dismissal of Security Official and Referral for Investigation Following the Death of a Citizen Under Torture in Abyan, Southern Yemen
Yemen Monitor / Abyan / Exclusive:
A security official in Abyan Governorate (southern Yemen) was dismissed on Tuesday and referred for investigation in connection with the death of a citizen under torture on the eve of Eid al-Adha. The incident has sparked widespread public outrage within local circles.
The Command of the National Security Forces in Abyan Governorate (formerly the Security Belt) announced in a statement the dismissal of the Acting Commander of the Khanfar Sector, Ali Said Al-Marqashi, and his referral for investigation and trial. This follows the death of a citizen on the night of Eid al-Adha as a result of being subjected to “heinous” torture, according to the statement, inside the “October 7” military camp.
The statement noted that the Commander of the National Security in the governorate, Brigadier General Hani Al-Sunaydi, issued a decree relieving Al-Marqashi of all his duties and transferring his file to the Legal Affairs Department to open an official investigation based on the forensic report, in preparation for his referral to the competent judicial authorities.
The decrees also mandated the assignment of Colonel Talal Nasr Balleil to take over the duties of the Acting Commander of the Khanfar Sector, alongside his current duties in commanding the Emergency Battalion, with the decision taking effect immediately upon its issuance.
The case involving the death of the victim, “Muhammad Ali Salem Habal”—a scrap metal trader originally from Al-Hudaidah Governorate who had been living in Ja’ar for decades—had triggered widespread popular and media outrage across the governorate after the circumstances surrounding his death were uncovered.
The National Security Forces are the Security Belt forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) prior to the announcement of its dissolution. They were established with UAE support ten years ago, preceding the recent transformations witnessed across the southern governorates.
Last January, Presidential Leadership Council member Abdul-Rahman Al-Mahrami announced the change of the name to the National Security Forces while retaining its formations and commanders, with the exception of the Commander-in-Chief Mohsen Al-Wali, who disappeared along with STC President Aidarous al-Zubaidi, and the appointment of Abdul-Salam Al-Jamali as his replacement.