The local court responded to Seyaj for Childhood Protection’s appeals to prevent the marriage of a 12-year-old girl, who was kidnapped for forced marriage in Hajjah Governorate, northwestern Yemen.
In its session today, Tuesday, February 5, 2019, presided over by Judge Majed Al-Harib, the Abs District Court of First Instance decided against the marriage of the child Hadeel Muhammad Issa due to her young age.
The protection officer at Seyaj stated that yesterday, on Monday, Seyaj received a notification from Hadeel’s family indicating that she is subject to forced marriage after the kidnapping. After her delivery to the police and the prosecution of the directorate, the kidnapper filed a lawsuit demanding he wed the underage child, to her guardian’s refusal. The communication verified that Hadeel’s family is under duress.
Accordingly, Seyaj called the court judge overseeing the case and requested that he repudiate the marriage, bring her captors to justice, and obligate her family to safeguard the child and shield her from bodily or psychological harm.
Seyaj also called on Judge Ali Al-Shamiri of the First Instance Prosecution, who holds the case file, and the tribal sheikh, Muhammad Baloch, who is housing the child with the prosecution’s agreement to defend the victim.
Seyaj reiterates its call for the judiciary to impose the harshest punishments on all those implicated in the kidnapping.
