September Net
His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, affirmed that press freedom and the protection of journalists will remain a firm commitment of the state leadership and government, and a cornerstone of the rule of law and the building of modern national institutions aspired to by all Yemenis.
President Al-Alimi warned against replicating the violations committed by the Houthi militias, which have turned precious parts of the country into some of the world’s most dangerous areas for journalists, stressing that such practices are incompatible with the values of the republic and the foundations of a civil state.
He emphasized that the free word is an integral part of society’s right to knowledge, and an essential component of any serious path toward stability and peace, reaffirming the state’s commitment to providing a safe environment for journalistic work, protecting media institutions from threats and extortion, and deterring any practices that seek to impose opinions by force or undermine public freedoms, in violation of the Constitution and national and international laws.
These remarks came during His Excellency’s meeting on Monday with Fathi bin Lazraq, Editor-in-Chief of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper, whose media institution was subjected to an armed attack on Sunday in the interim capital, Aden.
President Al-Alimi was briefed on the details and latest developments of the attack on the newspaper’s headquarters, which resulted in injuries among staff members and the destruction and looting of the premises, in what he described as a blatant violation of press freedom and media work, and a direct assault on the public’s right to access information.