Aden (South24 Center)

The Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah Party) on Thursday (October 30) accused the Houthi group of carrying out a widespread abduction campaign targeting over 200 of its members, including academics and doctors, across the governorates of Ibb, Dhamar, Saada, Sana'a, and Taiz.

In an official statement, the party strongly condemned the abductions: "We condemn this campaign, which has included academics, doctors, teachers, and community leaders abducted from their homes."

The party's stated that "the Houthi militia bears full responsibility for the torture and human rights violations being inflicted upon the abductees."

It further noted that "dozens of politicians and journalists remain victims of enforced disappearance for years, including Islah Party's High Council member Mohammed Qahtan, who is covered by UN Security Council resolutions."

The Islah party called on the United Nations and its Special Envoy to Yemen to take action to protect civilians and hold those responsible for violations accountable.

Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a prominent Houthi leader, responded to the party's statement on X, accusing the Islah Party of "providing intelligence services" to the United States within what he described as the "Prosperity Guardians alliance”.

Al-Bukhaiti alleged that some Islah Party cadres "were involved in espionage and have been apprehended”, though he provided no evidence to support these claims. The party has not yet commented on these accusations.

The Islah Party, founded in 1990, is widely regarded as the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Over recent years, the party has lost significant territory in North Yemen to the Houthis.

Its current presence is concentrated in parts of Taiz and Marib governorates. Its attempts to establish influence in South Yemen, particularly in Hadramout Governorate, face widespread public rejection due to the party's association with the 1994 war against the South and its links to influential figures accused of corruption and terrorism.