Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the reported indications of certain security agencies in Hadhramaut Governorate resorting to the use of digital inspection and analysis tools in cases related to freedom of expression and online publishing raise serious concerns about the expansion of digital surveillance and tracking practices without legitimate legal justification. The organization affirmed that such actions, if proven true, constitute a grave deviation by local authorities from their legal and constitutional obligations and contradict the fundamental principles of human rights and internationally recognized standards of due process.
SAM reviewed a post published by digital rights activist Fahmi Al-Bahith, in which he indicated the availability of documents suggesting the possible use of mobile phone forensic and analysis tools developed by the Israeli company Cellebrite by a Yemeni government security agency in Hadhramaut – Al-Mukalla, in a case involving a journalist accused over Facebook posts.
According to the activist’s post, these tools are among the highly sensitive technologies capable of accessing the full contents of personal devices, including messages, conversations, photos, and private data. Their use without independent judicial oversight, he added, constitutes a direct violation of individuals’ rights to privacy and the protection of personal data.
The organization noted that the information shared by the activist raises profound concern about the growing use of digital surveillance tools in Yemen without clear legal regulations or adequate safeguards to protect citizens’ privacy, particularly in an environment lacking an independent judiciary and institutional oversight.
SAM reiterated that reliance on advanced surveillance technologies subject to international export restrictions—such as the Israeli company Cellebrite’s tools—within an unstable conflict environment like Yemen constitutes a clear violation of international norms governing the use of dual-use technologies. It also raises serious questions regarding the entities that authorized their import and use, and the extent to which local authorities in Hadhramaut adhere to the principles of legality and respect for human rights.
The organization emphasized the need for judicial and executive authorities to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency, calling on the Attorney General and the Supreme Judicial Council to initiate an urgent and independent investigation to determine the accuracy of these allegations, identify the entities responsible for importing or using such tools in Yemen, and clarify the purposes for which they were employed.
SAM further urged the Yemeni Ministry of Interior to publicly respond to questions regarding the type of devices or software used in digital examinations, the existence of valid licenses from the supplying company, the data retention policies following such examinations, and the number of cases in which these tools have been used over the past few years.
The organization also called for the adoption of clear national legislation to protect personal data and regulate access to digital information, ensuring that all forms of examination or monitoring are subject to transparency and accountability standards. SAM stressed that the use of digital technologies in the security field must remain an exception defined by law—not an unrestricted practice employed to suppress freedoms or target journalists and activists.