Houthis under fire for arresting wedding singer in Yemeni capital
There are calls in Sanaa to form a union to defend the rights of singers, amid ongoing abuses and arrests targeting them by the Houthi rebel authorities.
SANAA, Yemen — Yemen's Houthi rebels faced a barrage of criticism following their arrest of singer Aseel Abu Bakr during an overnight wedding party in Sanaa on Aug. 31, drawing strong statements of solidarity on social media from singers, journalists and human rights activists.
Judge and human rights defender Abdul-Wahab Qutran said in a tweet, "Arresting Aseel Abu Bakr by the Sanaa branch of the Taliban [in reference to the Houthis] from a wedding venue in the Madhbah area is an imprescriptible offense."
"Singing is permissible [in Islam]," he added. "It's not a crime."
Qutran addressed the Houthi authorities, saying, “Who are you to criminalize permissible actions contrary to the constitution and the law."
