Children on death row in Yemen
Many children are on death row in Yemen, awaiting execution. Their stories of abuse and forced confessions are heartbreaking. This film follows Yemen's Children's Parliament as it calls the country's adult leaders to account.
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Inside Sana'a Central Prison
In the dark, grim cells of Sana'a Central Prison, hollow, tear-filled eyes stare through the bars in despair.
One young prisoner was 15 when he allegedly committed his crime. He describes the torture he suffered before he confessed to premeditated murder: "They kept beating me with an electric cable until 1.30 at night, while I hung there."
In theory, nobody under the age of 18 can be executed in Yemen. But few people in the country have birth certificates, so it is not always easy to establish a young person's age.
Another young prisoner strongly denies the crime he was convicted of. His family offers him no support, because they fear revenge from the relatives of the murdered man. Three doctors first judged him to be 16, then changed their minds. Asked why, he says: "Bribes, by the adversaries."
Children speaking up for children
The Children's Parliament is a unique organisation that lets young politicians challenge their adult counterparts. It has taken up the cases of these children on death row.
"We will stand by him and innocent children like him, even if we have to camp outside the president's residence," one of its members says.
The Children's Parliament has already stopped three executions. The second prisoner hopes that his will be the next.