Insan Organization: Mutilation of dead, desecration of their bodies prohibited by Islam

Insan Rights and Freedoms Organization condemned the alleged mutilation of the body of a member of the Yemeni Armed Forces by Saudi-backed forces, including stripping him of his clothes, filming him, and posting the footage on social media.

In a statement on Sunday, the organization described the incident as a shocking scene that runs counter to the most basic human and moral values and Yemeni customs.

It strongly denounced this degrading conduct, stressing that a fighter’s death on the battlefield does not deprive him of his human dignity, nor does it give any party the right to tamper with his body, publicly expose or shame him, or turn it into material for display and gloating, regardless of his affiliation or position in the conflict.

The organization said the incident constitutes an assault on the sanctity of the dead and a violation of Yemeni values and customs, which require that the body of the deceased be treated with respect and buried in a manner that preserves his dignity. It added that such conduct seriously insults Yemeni society and its values and deepens manifestations of moral decline resulting from years of the Saudi war on Yemen.

The statement affirmed that mutilating the dead and desecrating their bodies are prohibited under Islamic law, while the rules of international humanitarian law require respect for the remains of the dead and protection from degrading treatment, including mutilation, desecration, and public humiliation.

It pointed out that respect for the bodies of the dead does not depend on their positions or affiliations and should not be subject to bargaining or revenge. Once a fighter dies, it said, the conflict with him ends, and the responsibility to preserve his body and dignity begins.

Insan Organization stressed that Yemenis, regardless of their differing positions and affiliations, should not allow war to become a space for eroding what remains of respect for human dignity. Respect for the dead, it said, is not a privilege granted to one side over another, but rather a human, religious, and moral value that remains inviolable even in the most severe conflicts.