A/HRC/42/CRP.1 Group of Experts received reports that Security Belt members tortured four witnesses to the assassination.397 281. In response to Ra’fat’s assassination, popular protests took place in Mualla, in which protesters died during clashes, resulting in the Ministry of the Interior forming an investigation commission. The commission heard evidence from a number of witnesses, but at the time of writing, no perpetrators had been arrested or charged.398 (c) Violations 282. Arbitrary deprivation of life is strictly forbidden under international human rights law.399 When an unlawful killing is carried out by representatives of the governmental authorities, such as law enforcement officials, it amounts to an extrajudicial execution. Under international humanitarian law, when – within the context of an armed conflict – a party to the conflict intentionally kills a protected civilian, it amounts to wilful killing or, in a non-international conflict, to murder.400 Murder is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, hence a war crime that may lead to individual criminal responsibility.401 283. In the 10 cases investigated, the Group of Experts has reasonable grounds to believe that the killings were undertaken deliberately and in furtherance of objectives of armed groups who are parties to the conflict. Security Belt forces have law enforcement responsibilities as part of the Government of Yemen. 284. The Group of Experts found reasonable grounds to believe that United Arab Emirates and affiliated Security Belt forces are responsible for the 10 assassinations it investigated, which amount to the human rights law violation of arbitrary deprivation of life. In the cases where the Security Belt forces have been identified as the perpetrators, in their capacity as law enforcement officials, these killings amount to extrajudicial executions. As they are linked to the armed conflict and perpetrated by parties to the conflict, these unlawful killings also amount to murder under international humanitarian law. This may lead to individual criminal responsibility for the war crime of murder for those responsible for the commission, ordering, aiding, abetting or otherwise assisting in or contributing to the commission of the killings, as well as for any individual with command responsibility. The Government of Yemen is also obliged to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of the population in its territory, and hence to take positive actions to protect the right to life. The Group of Experts further notes that its findings in the 10 cases investigated as a sample of 90 reported assassinations raise serious concerns with respect to the responsibility for the other reported cases. 4. Restrictions on Freedom of Expression 285. In addition to the detention and killings detailed above, the United Arab Emirates and Security Belt forces have committed other violations targeted at dissenting opinions, apparently in order to consolidate their authority in the South, at the expense of the Government, al-Islah and other opposition. In its 2018 report, the Group of Experts found that from 2017 to May 2018 there were a series of detentions, threats, assaults and obstructions of journalists, human rights activists and newspapers who had been critical of the United Arab Emirates, Southern Transitional Council or Security Belt, or were perceived as being pro-al-Islah. This included targeting of women activists and demonstrators. 402 286. From 2016 to early 2018, around the time of Qatar’s departure from the coalition in 2017, Security Belt forces threatened and conducted surveillance on staff from the Qatari 397 Confidential Sources on File. Confidential Sources on File. Also see https://almasdaronline.com/articles/165069 399 Art. 6(1) ICCPR. 400 Art. 3 common to the Geneva Conventions, Art. 4(2)(a) Additional Protocol II; See ICRC Study on customary IHL, rule 89. 401 Art. 8 2.(c)(i) Rome Statute. 402 Confidential Sources on File. See also summary in A/HRC/39/43. 398 66