Entesaf Documents the Targeting of the Central Reformatory in Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf
Entesaf Documents the Targeting of the Central Reformatory in Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf
Entesaf Organization for Women and Child Rights today issued a human rights report entitled “A Crime Behind Bars,” documenting the targeting of the Central Reformatory facility in Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf Governorate, by Saudi-led coalition aircraft on September 7 of this year.
The report examines the details of the incident and its humanitarian repercussions, including testimonies and direct interviews with eyewitnesses who experienced the bombardment, as well as documentation of the damage and circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to the report, the bombing resulted in the deaths of 37 civilians, including women and children, and injured seven others. It also caused material damage to the reformatory building and its surrounding area, as well as damage to related facilities. At the time of the attack, the area contained detainees, employees, and civilians, increasing the risks associated with the strike and the resulting human losses.
The report documented direct humanitarian consequences for the families of victims and survivors, including the loss of breadwinners, physical injuries, psychological trauma, and difficulties faced by families in identifying their relatives and completing burial and medical procedures amid limited medical and humanitarian resources in the area.
The report also included eyewitness accounts stating that the bombardment occurred suddenly and that rescue teams and local residents faced difficulties reaching the site, recovering victims, and evacuating the injured due to the extent of the destruction and continuing risks in the surrounding area. These circumstances further complicated rescue and relief operations.
Entesaf Organization affirmed that the targeting of the Central Reformatory and the resulting civilian casualties constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The report includes an analysis of the relevant legal framework concerning the protection of civilians, detainees, and facilities benefiting from protected status, based on applicable international rules, treaties, and conventions.
The organization stressed that the protection of detainees remains a legal and humanitarian obligation, and that the presence of a correctional facility does not in itself justify targeting it or exposing those inside to danger unless its military nature is established under applicable legal standards. It further emphasized the need to uphold the principles of distinction and proportionality and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians.
Entesaf stated that documenting this incident forms part of its efforts to monitor and document violations committed against civilians in Yemen and to preserve evidence and testimonies related to such incidents, contributing to establishing the truth and advancing justice for victims.
The organization called for the preservation of all physical and digital evidence related to the incident, including photographs of the strike site, hospital records, witness testimonies, and lists of victims and injured persons, to prevent the facts from being erased or essential information needed for any future independent investigation from being lost.
It also called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights bodies to fulfill their responsibilities by opening an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the incident, working to ensure accountability and hold those responsible to account, and preventing impunity for perpetrators of serious violations.
The organization further called for urgent medical and psychological care for the wounded, survivors, and victims’ families, humanitarian assistance for those affected, and guarantees of their rights to truth, remedy, and reparation in accordance with relevant international standards.