Yemen’s Aden-based Ministry of Justice announced preparing a blacklist for war criminals with intentions of submitting it to international courts and organizations, including the United Nations Security Council. Most courts and bodies receiving the list will be asked to review cases of people involved in unlawful conduct and the killing of defenseless civilians. Ansar Allah movement leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Houthi military commander Abd al-Khaliq al-Houthi and Houthis second-in-command Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim will be among those listed, Justice Ministry Spokesman Faisal Hazza al-Majidi told Asharq Al-Awsat. In a phone interview, Majidi said that a number of other key Houthi leaders will be included. He confirmed that the ministry is in the process of preparing a full report documenting each blacklisted figure’s criminal record. Each of the abovementioned Yemeni figures has received UN condemnation and at times faced sanctions. For example, Abd al-Khaliq al-Houthi was designated for sanctions on November 7, 2014 for engaging in acts that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen. Among those acts was the obstruction of the implementation of the 2011 agreement struck between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it. The agreement, which the Houthi military leader impeded, provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen. “All-encompassing legal paperwork and documentation needed to pursue them (blacklisted Houthi leaders) at an international level are being prepared,” added Majidi when elaborating on measures undertaken by the ministry. Chiefly, wanted war criminals will be held responsible for staging a military coup against constitutional authorities in Yemen and threatening the country’s civil peace. More so, the Justice Ministry is spending relentless efforts for freeing over 95 licensed and practicing judges being held by Houthi militias in Sanaa. Majidi said there is a large number of Sanaa-based judges in opposition to the Iran-backed coup in Yemen.  Government orders stipulate that judges be reinstated in areas freed from Houthi insurgents. There is an order to “remove one hundred judges from Sanaa to liberated areas,” Majidi said. “Judges face Houthi militia harassment, despite them qualifying for immunity,” he added. According to the Justice Ministry spokesman, judges are confronting coup-inflicted brutality when refusing to obey militia orders, and the number of cases is mounting by the day.