Systematic Persecution of Religious Minorities in Yemen Intensifies Under Houthi Control, USCIRF Report Finds
A newly released report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is shedding light on the worsening state of religious freedom in northern Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthi movement maintains control.
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The factsheet, titled “Violations of Religious Freedom by the Houthi Movement in Northern Yemen,” highlights the systemic persecution of religious minorities and dissenters by the Houthis. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the Houthis have intensified their crackdown, targeting Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Yemeni women and girls, and anyone diverging from their rigid interpretation of Islam.
The report accuses the Houthis of embedding their ideology throughout key societal institutions — including education, the military, prisons, and the courts — in a sweeping campaign to suppress religious diversity. Yemen, once a country known for its millennia-long history of religious pluralism, has seen minority faith communities forced into hiding under the threat of violence and intimidation.
“The few remaining members of minority faith communities stay hidden due to threats of Houthi intimidation and violence,” the report states.
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF called on the U.S. Department of State to officially designate the Houthis as an “Entity of Particular Concern” (EPC) due to their flagrant and severe violations of religious freedom.
The USCIRF, a bipartisan, independent agency established by Congress, monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. Its mission is to expose and combat religious persecution globally.
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