Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection called on the Yemeni government to investigate the participation of hundreds of children in the riots and acts of sabotage that took place in Sana’a, warning of the danger of exploiting children to carry out acts that threaten their lives, safety, and childhood.
Seyaj’s Monitoring and Advocacy Center stated that hundreds of innocent children, mostly between the ages of five and fifteen, had been recruited and exploited by adults to block major and secondary roads, burn tires, harass passersby, and raise slogans and images linked to political conflict under the pretext of protesting the shortage of basic services such as electricity and fuel.
The organization called on the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecution to open urgent investigations and bring to justice all those involved, especially parents, neighborhood leaders, political and social figures, and other funders, planners, and perpetrators of these criminal acts that endanger children and damage public safety and social peace.
Seyaj also demanded that any links to political actors harmed by the political transition and seeking to obstruct the transfer of power or the implementation of the outcomes of the National Dialogue be exposed.
While reaffirming its principled support for children’s right to express their views and for the need to listen to them, the organization stressed that such expression must take place through peaceful and age-appropriate means, and that what happened in Sana’a on 12 June 2014 was entirely contrary to these standards.
Seyaj thanked the security forces for their positive handling of the situation up to that point, while urging them to act lawfully against those exploiting children. It also appealed to parents not to allow children to participate in dangerous activities of this kind.
