NYN | News
Shocking footage has sparked widespread outrage across Yemen after images and videos circulated showing an armored vehicle belonging to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council’s counterterrorism forces parading through the streets of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan Governorate, with a crucified corpse tied by the hands and feet displayed on its front.
Sources reported that the body belongs to a man allegedly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, identified as “Abu Zaid Al-Hadi Al-Yafei,” who was reportedly killed during a security operation earlier that day in Ataq, Shabwah Governorate. However, official authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the deceased.
One of the photos showed the body in a degrading position in full view of passersby, some of whom appeared armed and preoccupied with documenting the scene. This triggered strong condemnation from human rights organizations, which described the act as a dehumanizing display and a violation of human dignity, constituting a crime under both local and international law.
The incident quickly topped trending topics on Yemeni social media platforms under the hashtag “#STC_Daesh,” a scathing reference by activists to what they described as the “barbaric behavior” of forces affiliated with the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council.
As of the time of publishing, no official statement has been issued by local authorities or the leadership of the Southern Transitional Council regarding the incident, and the details of how the body was transported from Shabwah to Abyan remain unknown.
Local human rights organizations condemned the incident in the strongest terms, calling it a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights norms,” and demanded an urgent investigation and accountability for those involved.
These organizations affirmed that the treatment of the corpse in such a manner constitutes a “war crime” that does not expire with time, calling on the international community to intervene and halt such repeated violations in areas controlled by the Transitional Council.
