Yemen’s press : 5 years of Houthis’ suppression & abuses
September Net
As the World Press Freedom Day falls, the Houthi war against journalists and journalism in Yemen continues unabated.
The Houthi militia have in their jails dozens of journalists rounded up since they overthrew the government in September 2014 and triggered the current war months later.
Yemen’s Journalists Syndicate documented more than 814 violations of press freedom since 2015 against reporters, photojournalists, newspapers, online news sites, social networking activists and premises of media outlets.
National Organization of Yemeni Media professionals ( Sada) has called on the international community to mount pressure on Houthi militia to release abducted journalists in its prisons.
In a statement on the World Press Freedom Day, Sada expressed regret that Houthi militia continues kidnapping 24 Yemeni journalists, including 11 journalists who have been in the prisons for four years.
The statement holds Houthi militia full responsible for the life of those journalists and abductees, who have been subjected to brutal torture physically and psychologically and inhuman and unethical negligence.
“Sada calls on international organizations, mainly International Federation of Journalists and UN agencies and human rights bodies to shoulder its roles and assume its humanitarian duties to defend media rights and freedoms, and join efforts to advocate and support Yemeni journalists, as well pressure for their unconditional release,” reads the statement.
The Amnesty International organization demands last week immediate release of 10 journalists who have been abducted by Houthi coup militia.
The Amnesty International said that the 10 journalists have been held since the summer of 2015 and are being prosecuted on trumped-up spying charges for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.
The National Organization of Yemeni Media professionals, SADA, has monitored 4288 violations committed by Houthi militia against Yemeni journalists and media staff during 2018.
The NGO said that 4248 of the abuses occurred in Sana’a, which is under the militia’s control.