Nobel Peace laureate and human rights defender Tawakkol Karman has welcomed yesterday’s decision by the UN human rights council to set up an independent investigation into all alleged abuses of human rights in Yemen dating back to September 2014.

"It is a very important first step to speak up for victims and protect civilians," said Tawakkol Karman in a statement on social media.

Mrs. Karman stressed the decision sends an important message that crimes against civilians in Yemen would not go unpunished, she added. 

A decision was passed by the UN Human Rights Council yesterday and gave a year-long mandate to a group of international experts to investigate human rights abuses by all parties to the conflict in Yemen. 

According to Amnesty International, the decision is a momentous breakthrough that will pave the way for justice for countless victims of human rights abuses and grave violations of international law, including war crimes.