Interior Ministry Fails to Arrest Perpetrators; Dr. Al-Qadasi's Killers Still at Large

Background:

A group of armed tribesmen attacked late last month Dr. Derhim Al-Qadasi, the head of Incentive Care Unit at Science and Technology University Hospital and lecturer at Dhamar University, by stabbing him from behind several times using a Jambyah.

As they committed the crime, the gang members - who belong to Al-Maflahi Tribe in Rada – fled the scene and sought the protection of their tribe's sheikhs in their homeland. So far, the Ministry of Interior has been incapable to arrest the key perpetrator Yousuf Al-Maflahi.

Following the Jambyah attack, Al-Qadasi was admitted to the hospital's incentive care unit and was operated many times; however, he died due to the fatal injuries he sustained after he had been in clinical death for a couple of weeks. The hospital officially announced his death on January 18.

Al-Maflahi claim that Dr. Al-Qadasi was behind the death of his father aged 85 after he [the father] was operated in the hospital for different health problems.

Perpetrators at large

A source at Science and Technology University Hospital stated that private sector hospitals have suspended the full-scale strike and decided to make it just every Tuesday, asking all doctors and pharmacists from all private, public hospitals and clinics to participate in demonstrations and sit-ins that will be stage on Tuesdays before the Cabinet, Parliament and other government institutions.  

The source added that the heads of private hospitals held a meeting on Monday, January 26 and agreed to set up a media center for following up and coordination with media outlets and civil society organizations. 

He also noted that one of the key perpetrator's relatives, Nasser bin Nasser Al-Maflahi, was arrested by security authorities, as well as Al-Maflahi's Tribe Sheikh Muslih Ali Al-Maflahi.

A meeting aiming to show solidarity with the slain Dr. Derhim Al-Qadasi, who died on January 18, was held on Monday. The meeting led to forming a coordinating committee of doctors, pressmen and lawyers as well as members of parliament to follow up Al-Qadasi's case. It also sought the different mechanisms to ensure that the killers are brought before justice.

Moreover, the participants decided to file a complaint against the Ministry of Interior and present it for the Prime Minister and the Attorney General for failing to perform its duties and implement prosecution orders to arrest the perpetrators.

Similarly, the participants decided to file a complaint and present it to the New York-based United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, including the names of parties and sheiks that provide protection for the perpetrators as they prevent the enforcement of law. 

They also asked for expanding the solidarity circle to include all local, regional and international human rights, occupational and trade-union organizations to press the authority  which is lenient with the lawlessness situation prevalent nationwide.    

In their release, Dhamar University Teaching Staff, of which Al-Qadasi was a member, denounced the incident and asked authorities to work seriously for bringing the perpetrators before justice. 

As of Saturday, the Doctors and Pharmacists' Syndicate and Dhamar University Teaching Staff have started a comprehensive strike, demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

They also appealed to the President and the Prime Minister to intervene and work for state’s dignity and called on civil society and human rights organizations inside and outside the country to give more attention to this issue and to work for forcing the authorities to work in a responsible manner.

Prior to this strike, the Doctors' Syndicate conducted several protests last week, including a strike which they called off after the Ministry of the Interior had pledged to arrest the perpetrators within one week. The ministry’s failure forced them to restage their sit-ins and escalate their demonstrations.

Likewise, Dr. Al-Qadasi’s colleagues and relatives staged a series of sit-ins before government premises and the hospital, demanding the perpetrator’s arrest. His relatives are still sitting in a tent they erected in front of the hospital.

Representatives of the Doctors' Syndicate and Dhamar University have held several meetings with high ranking officials including the prime minister asking them to work for an immediate arrest of the perpetrators. However, there has been no progress about the case.

Trade unions show solidarity

The General Syndicate for Education Professions demanded the respective authorities to speed up the arrest of all suspects over killing Dr. Al-Qadasi, stressing that the state's failure to arrest the perpetrators and bring them before justice will undermine its dignity and allow chaos and insecurity to increase.

Similarly, there had been all-out strikes by the health sector affiliates nationwide and this applies to public, private hospitals and clinics. However, these strikes were halted and to be resumed each Tuesday only and until the Interior Ministry arrests the perpetrators.