Human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman stated that the Houthi militia's treatment of prominent political leader Mohammed Qahtan constituted multiple grave crimes in violation of international humanitarian law and fundamental moral principles. She called for full criminal accountability, stressing that such crimes are not subject to any statute of limitations.

In a post published on her official social media account, Karman said the violations began with Qahtan's abduction and enforced disappearance, which lasted for more than eleven years. She described him as a senior political leader who dedicated his life to the causes of liberty, peace, and democracy, adding that his prolonged disappearance ultimately ended with what she described as his death under circumstances that remain unclear.

Karman further stated that the circumstances surrounding Qahtan's death, together with the condition of the remains presented to his family, raised serious questions that have yet to receive credible answers. She highlighted the family's concerns that the remains shown to them were incomplete and unrecognizable.

Rejecting the Houthi militia's claim that Qahtan died in an airstrike, Karman argued that the explanation failed to address the inconsistencies surrounding the case and instead reinforced the need for an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation. She also noted the family's account that they had been pressured to sign an official inspection report, describing the case as one marked by unresolved procedural concerns and unanswered questions that could only be addressed through an independent forensic and judicial investigation capable of establishing the full facts and determining criminal responsibility.

Karman concluded that the treatment of Mohammed Qahtan constituted a series of grave violations, including arbitrary deprivation of liberty, prolonged enforced disappearance, the denial of information to his family, and the psychological suffering inflicted through years of uncertainty and contradictory disclosures. She reiterated her call for full criminal accountability for all those responsible, emphasizing that such crimes remain prosecutable regardless of the passage of time.