The American Center for Justice Calls for Unveiling the Fate of Yemenis Forcibly Disappeared in Syria for Over 12 Years

Michigan—The American Center for Justice (ACJ) is deeply concerned about the plight of Yemeni_citizens forcibly disappeared in #Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in #2011. Despite more than 12 years having passed since these grave violations occurred, the fate of the disappeared remains unknown. This ongoing uncertainty represents a grave violation of fundamental human rights and deepens the suffering of their families, who continue to endure anguish and uncertainty.

Among the most prominent cases is that of five Yemeni officers sent to study at the Aleppo Military Aviation Academy. In September #2012, these officers were abducted by the Nusra Front while traveling from Aleppo to Damascus. Their names are: Mohammed Abdu Al-Mulaiki, Ali Hussein Salama, Hani Saleh Nizar, Hassan Mohammed Al-Wahib, and Ahmed Ali Radman.

The officers were coerced into making false confessions, broadcast by the Nusra Front, alleging they were deployed to support the Syrian regime against opposition forces. In reality, their deployment to Syria predated the Syrian revolution. They were originally scheduled to travel from Aleppo to Damascus via military aircraft after completing their studies. However, academy officials barred them from boarding the plane and forced them to travel by land. Despite intensive mediation efforts extending to the Syrian-Turkish border in December 2012, they were not released. To this day, their families await any news of their fate with growing desperation.

Another significant case is that of Yemeni doctor Riyad Al-Omaisi, who traveled to Syria in 2008 on a scholarship to pursue an Arab Board certification at Damascus University. As part of his training, he worked in Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, before moving to Al-Mujtahid Hospital in central Damascus. Communication with him was cut off just one month before his final exams in early 2013. According to reports from his family and the Yemeni embassy at the time, he was arrested and summarily sentenced to death for allegedly treating injured members of the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups. His sentence was later commuted following intervention by the Yemeni embassy during the tenure of the National Reconciliation Government led by Prime Minister Basindawa. However, his fate remains unknown, and his family has received no further information about his condition or whereabouts since then.

In light of these distressing cases, the American Center for Justice (ACJ) urges the Yemeni government to assume its constitutional and legal responsibilities toward its citizens who have been forcibly disappeared in Syria. The ACJ calls for the formation of a dedicated committee to urgently address these cases, liaise with relevant parties—particularly the Syrian Interim Government—and ensure the disclosure of the detainees’ fates and their safe return to their families.

The ACJ also calls on the Syrian Interim Government to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation into these cases and to fully cooperate with human rights organizations to locate the detainees, uncover their conditions, and secure their immediate release.

The ACJ also appeals to activists and leaders of the Syrian revolution to prioritize this issue as part of their broader pursuit of justice and the principles of freedom that underpinned the revolution. The liberation of detainees and the revelation of the fate of the disappeared are essential steps toward building a just and humane new Syria.

The American Center for Justice stresses that the international community and human rights organizations must support these efforts, whether through pressure on the involved parties or by providing technical and logistical support to document these violations and ensure accountability. Revealing the fate of the disappeared is not only a humanitarian obligation but also a moral imperative. Justice cannot be achieved without alleviating the suffering of the victims and their families.