Amnesty International is reporting that when Al Qaeda controlled a southern region of Yemen, the Abyan governorate, from February 2011 and June 2012, the terrorist organization committed “truly shocking” human rights abuses including crucifixions and the beheading of an alleged sorcerer.
Amnesty International has released a video which displays a suspected thief having his hand cut off by the Ansar al-Sharia militia, a division of al Qaeda, the same group that was responsible for the murders of the four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Director Philip Luther said:
Abyan experienced a human rights catastrophe as Ansar al-Sharia and government forces vied for control of the region during 2011 and the first half of 2012. The Yemeni authorities must ensure that a commission of inquiry announced in September covers the truly shocking abuses committed. The tragedy of Abyan will haunt Yemen for decades to come unless those responsible are held to account and victims and their families receive reparations.
Al Qaeda inflicted summary killings, including one post-execution crucifixion, on alleged criminals, suspected spies, those accused of ‘sorcery’ and people who transgressed cultural norms.