Aden | 12 May 2026
Minister of Human Rights, Mashdal Mohammed Omar, met today, Tuesday, with the European Union Delegation to Yemen, headed by Patrick Simonnet, in the temporary capital, Aden, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation in the field of human rights and support efforts toward institutional reform and the protection of rights and freedoms.
During the meeting, Minister Mashdal affirmed the Yemeni government’s commitment to fulfilling its national and international obligations in the field of human rights, despite the current challenges, noting the continued efforts to strengthen the rule of law, develop the performance of national institutions, and improve the situation of rights and freedoms.
The Minister reviewed the Ministry’s priorities for the coming period, foremost among them strengthening monitoring and documentation mechanisms, alongside efforts to improve the efficiency of institutional personnel and develop the capacities of national authorities responsible for law enforcement. The meeting also addressed the issue of abducted and forcibly disappeared persons and the ongoing humanitarian suffering this issue causes their families, particularly mothers.
The Minister and the Undersecretary of the Ministry, Nabil Abdulhafeedh, affirmed that this issue is a top priority for the government, considering it primarily a humanitarian matter. They also explained that efforts are continuing in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General to close unofficial detention facilities and address the conditions of detainees.
For his part, the European Union Ambassador congratulated the Minister on what he described as early and positive steps, particularly field visits to detention centers and prisons, considering them an important message reflecting attention to human rights issues. He expressed the European Union’s desire to strengthen cooperation with the Yemeni government in the areas of capacity-building and aligning national legislation with international standards.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the assassination incidents involving Engineer Wissam Qaed and Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shaer, emphasizing the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice in a manner that enhances security and stability in the temporary capital, Aden.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Ambassador of the European Union to Yemen, Luis Miguel Bueno; the Head of Cooperation at the Delegation, Joost Moolman; and the European Union Project Manager, Lubna Al-Lama.
