Geneva – The abduction and assassination of the Acting Executive Director of the Social Fund for Development, Wissam Qaed, in Aden, southern Yemen, constitutes an unlawful killing and arbitrary deprivation of life. It raises serious concerns about the resurgence of extrajudicial killings in Aden amid continued impunity for similar violations.
An immediate, independent, and effective investigation into the circumstances of the crime must be launched to uncover the truth and hold all those responsible accountable. Targeting a prominent civilian figure at a key development institution, regardless of the motives, deepens fear and insecurity among those working in the civil, humanitarian, and development sectors and may undermine their ability to operate safely.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reviewed CCTV footage documenting Qaed's abduction on Sunday, 3 May. The footage shows three armed men arriving in a civilian vehicle near his home in the Inma development city in Aden. After he parked his car, the armed men forced Qaed out, tied his hands behind his back, and took him away in their vehicle to an unknown location, while one of the assailants drove off in the victim's car. Hours later, Qaed was found dead inside his vehicle in the nearby Al-Haswa area.
Qaed's assassination may signal a troubling return to the pattern of targeted and extrajudicial killings in Aden after a period of relative stability. It occurred just two weeks after unidentified gunmen killed Abdulrahman Al-Shaer, a figure from the Islah party
The abduction lasted about two minutes and took place in a busy area in broad daylight. The perpetrators appeared calm and organised, with sufficient time to carry out the crime and no visible fear of exposure or intervention. The method raises serious questions about the adequacy of existing security measures and reinforces concerns about an environment that enables such crimes to recur and perpetrators to evade accountability.
According to local sources, Qaed was killed less than an hour after his abduction by close-range gunfire. No detailed official medical explanation of the injuries or circumstances of death has yet been issued. Authorities have announced the opening of an investigation and the arrest of one suspect, according to statements by Yemen's Interior Minister on Monday.
The killing of a prominent civilian figure working in a key development institution carries grave consequences for Yemen's humanitarian and development environment. Qaed played a central role in managing the Social Fund for Development, one of the country's main institutional pillars that supports livelihoods and responds to the needs of affected communities. His killing heightens fears among civil and humanitarian workers and may undermine their ability to perform their duties safely.
Furthermore, Qaed's assassination may signal a troubling return to the pattern of targeted and extrajudicial killings in Aden after a period of relative stability. It occurred just two weeks after unidentified gunmen killed Abdulrahman Al-Shaer, a figure from the Islah party. It highlights a pattern of similar crimes that have targeted around 480 people since 2015, including politicians, military personnel, academics, and activists in regions controlled by the Yemeni government, according to local estimates. These crimes continue with ongoing impunity.
The recurrence of assassinations in areas under government control raises serious concerns about the authorities' failure to protect lives and ensure security. The authorities must take immediate and effective measures to prevent further unlawful killings and ensure independent, impartial, and effective investigations that identify and prosecute those responsible.
Additionally, the assassination of a senior civilian official at a major development institution heightens concerns about the safety of those working in civil, humanitarian, and development sectors. The continued failure to hold perpetrators accountable sends a dangerous message that such crimes carry no consequences and threatens the ability of civil and development institutions to operate safely in a country where millions depend on essential humanitarian and development services.
The Yemeni government must ensure an independent, impartial, and effective investigation into the assassination of Wissam Qaed and similar killings, capable of establishing the circumstances and motives of the crime and identifying all those responsible, including those who planned, ordered, carried out, or concealed it, and bringing them to justice through fair trials.
Euro-Med Monitor further calls on the Yemeni government to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of abductions and unlawful killings in Aden by ending the impunity that fuels such crimes, ensuring that all security forces and armed groups, regardless of affiliation, are subject to the rule of law and effective judicial oversight, and preventing any armed entity from carrying out detention, pursuit, or use of force outside legal frameworks and without accountability.
The Yemeni government must ensure protection for witnesses, the victim's family, and anyone providing information related to the crime from threats, retaliation, or pressure, and keep the family and the public informed of the investigation's outcomes to the extent that does not compromise justice, in respect of victims' and families' rights to truth and redress.
