'Egregious violations:' Houthis sentence 9 men to death on dubious 'sodomy' charges in Yemen

A Houthi court sentenced nine men to death on charges of “sodomy,” Human Rights Watch has found, while sentencing an additional 23 men to prison.

An investigation by the organization revealed that the 32 men were sentenced earlier this year on January 23. The nine death sentences included crucifixion and stoning, and an additional three were sentenced to public flogging, marking one of the most harrowing cases of civilians being sentenced for “immoral acts" under the conservative Islamist regime.

“In an abhorrent disregard for the rule of law, the Houthis are handing down death sentences and subjecting men to public mistreatment without a semblance of due process,” Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “The Houthis are using these cruel measures to distract from their failure to govern and provide people in their territories with basic needs.”

The sentences were handed down after "egregious violations of Yemen’s own criminal procedural code," according to the organization. This included "blatant due process violations" such as law enforcement failing to provide arrest warrants and unlawfully confiscating the men’s phones.