Sana’a –Attention is once again turning to the case of Mohammed Taher Samoom, a Yemeni prisoner who has spent more than 27 years behind bars after being convicted of killing his friend in what he insists was an unintentional shooting that occurred while they were playing with a firearm. At the time, he was just 13 years old.

According to information obtained by human rights organizations, authorities are preparing to carry out the death sentence against Mohammed within two days, unless the victim’s family, the Al-Hujeili clan, grants him clemency and waives their right to retribution.

The Incident as Recounted by Mohammed:

On June 8, 1999, Mohammed was sitting in a rural area with his friend, Ammar Al-Hujeili, when the two began joking with their firearms. Mohammed pulled the trigger of his rifle, believing it to be unloaded, but a round discharged and fatally struck Ammar.

Mohammed maintains the shooting was purely accidental, the result of mishandling the weapon, and denies any conflict with the victim, describing him as a close friend and classmate.

Mohammed was later convicted of premeditated murder, based on conflicting confessions he says were made under pressure from relatives, who had advised him to stick to a specific version of events during interrogations.

From Childhood to Death Row:

During the trial, Mohammed’s age was officially recorded as 18 years, although he insists his true age at the time of the incident was 13 years and 4 months. Based on the court’s determination, he was sentenced to death, a ruling that was upheld through three levels of the judiciary: the primary court, appeals, and the Supreme Court, with final approval by the then-president.

In December 2010, Mohammed was taken to the execution yard, but the executioner refused to carry out the sentence, reportedly saying: “This prisoner entered jail as a child. I will not be part of such injustice.”
Following this, international human rights organizations, including UNICEF, intervened and began reviewing the case. Their efforts led to the temporary suspension of the execution order.

Calls for Review and Clemency:

Over the years, multiple presidential directives have called for a reassessment of Mohammed’s case—particularly the question of his age at the time of the incident. The Supreme Judicial Council has also approved a review. Despite these developments, Mohammed remains on death row, his fate now hanging on whether the victim’s family agrees to grant a pardon.

Humanitarian Appeals:

In a heartfelt letter from prison, Mohammed appealed to the Al-Hujeili family for forgiveness, asserting his innocence of intentional murder and emphasizing the accidental nature of the shooting.
“There was no conflict between me and Ammar. We were friends. It was a game that turned into a tragedy. I have spent 24 years in prison, paying a heavy price,” he wrote.

Human Rights Reactions:

Human rights groups have renewed their calls on Yemeni authorities to halt the execution and reopen the case, stressing that the original death sentence was issued against a minor, a clear violation of international conventions, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Yemen is a signatory.

Background:

Yemen remains among the countries that continue to apply the death penalty, including in cases where defendants may have been underage at the time of the crime—contravening international human rights standards.