Son of late Yemeni president criticises Houthis in first public statement

Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, son of Yemen’s late president, has publicly criticised the Houthi rebels for the first time since his father’s assassination in 2017, ending years of silence.

Speaking on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of Yemen’s 26 September Revolution—which overthrew the imamate in the country’s north in 1962—Saleh described the Houthis as heirs of “backward spiritual rule” and vowed to defeat them.

He stated that Yemenis who had overthrown the imamate could do so again to “regain their freedom and dignity,” according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

His remarks came weeks after a Houthi court sentenced him to death, seized his assets, and compelled supporters of the group within the General People’s Congress (GPC) party in Sana’a to remove him from his position as deputy party leader.

Analysts suggested these measures reflect the Houthis’ concern over his symbolic influence within the party founded by his father, possibly prompting his public challenge.

In his speech, Saleh linked the September 26 Revolution with the December 2017 uprising led by his father against the Houthis, framing both as part of a continuous struggle.

He called for a “national salvation project” to unite anti-Houthi forces by overcoming political divisions, which he said had allowed the group to consolidate power.

By Tamilla Hasanova