Alsahwa Net-The Houthis leaders have reinstated modern slavery in Sana’a and other parts of their held areas after the phenomenon had been disappeared for decades throughout Yemen.

Sources quoted by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily Newspaper indicated that over 1,800 Yemeni citizens work as private servants or slaves for higher Houthis leaders either at their residences or at their offices.

The phenomenon expanded largely following the Houthis-takeover of the capital Sana’a in late September 2014. The ill-practice dates back to the imamates’ rule in north Yemen who used to classify the society into Sayyids [people with alleged family connection to the prophet Mohammed], citizens and salves.

Sources say that Abdulamlik Al-Houthi, leader of the Houthis group, his brother Abdulkhaleq Al-Houthi, his relatives, Mohamed Ali Al-Houthi, Hamza al-Houthi, Abdulkarim Al-Houthi, Mohammed Abdulkarim Al-Houthi, Yahya Al-Houthi, Abdulrab Saleh Jarfan, Hassan Amer, Ezzi Al-Marani, Abdulrazaq Al-Marwani, Hussein Al-Moyyad and Ahmad Al-Moyyad are among the key Houthis’ leaders who recruit salves and servants at their homes.

Houthis efforts for slavery revival in areas under their control comes after over 50 years since the demise of the imamates ’rule in north Yemen that used to legalize such practice.

The republican revolution that ended the imamates’ rule in 1962 have promoted calls for freedom from all forms of slavery and oppression.

Activists say that attempts of slavery reinstatement is not shocking as the practice is literally an implementation of the Houthis’ ideology that is based on modern slavery. The fundamental pillars of their ideology is that only certain social classes of the society have the privilege to rule, wealth and management.

The Yemen Penalty Code criminalizes all forms of slavery and punishes anyone found guilty of slavery-related practice with ten-year imprisonment.