The owner of a women's café in Sanaa details the break-in and its closure
English - Thursday 20 February 2020 الساعة 06:34 pm
Aden, Newsyemen
The Houthi militia recently stormed the women's Cafe Ofelia in the capital, Sana'a, which is under its control.
Shaima Mohammed (the owner of the café) revealed horrific details about the operation to storm and close the café by Houthi gunmen, who attacked her and threatened her with death, and tried to attack her and her brother.
On a personal Facebook page, she said: "A while ago, armed men came to our workplace (Café Ophelia for women only) without notice or any legal justification and asked us to vacate the place."
She added that one of the gunmen ordered her to evacuate the women from the café and threatened to storm him, saying: "They should stay in their homes ... why did they leave?"
She said that a Houthi gunman attacked a female employee and took her phone from her hand by force, and when her brother tried to banish the gunman, the gunman took his weapons, and threatened to kill him inside the café.
She stated that the Houthi gunmen threw women in cafes with offensive and obscene words when they were forced out of the place.
She indicated that the militia allowed her to reopen the café, after closing it for the first time, but returned to storm it and close it again, without any legal reason.
Shaima Mohammed concluded by saying that the gunmen had closed the café and "we do not know what is our fault except that we are following the law ... We are looking for justice in this country."
