Majed Zayed’s Disappearance Highlights Houthi Assault on Press Freedom

September 29, 2025 – Yemen – 

The fate of Yemeni journalist Majed Zayed remains unknown after he was taken by Houthi forces in Sana’a on September 23, 2025. Witnesses report he was seized while returning home from a medical visit, marking yet another alarming case of enforced disappearance in a country where press freedoms are under constant threat. Zayed, a freelancer who wrote for outlets such as Nafzet Al-Yemen, Almawqea Post, and Mda Press, had long been recognized for his commitment to independent reporting.

His abduction came just days after he publicly shared a patriotic song in honor of September 26 Republican Day, a date commemorating Yemen’s 1962 revolution. The Houthis, who do not recognize this anniversary, had already issued warnings about so-called “plots” ahead of the occasion. Rights defenders believe Zayed was deliberately targeted for his expression of national identity, underscoring how symbolic gestures can draw retaliation in today’s climate.

The Yemeni government in Aden condemned the disappearance, placing responsibility squarely on the Houthis. Information Minister Muamer al-Eryani described the case as part of a wider effort to erase the values of Yemen’s revolution and restrict citizens’ awareness. He called on the international community and media freedom organizations to demand Zayed’s safe release and to hold the Houthis accountable for continued attacks on journalists.

Zayed’s case is emblematic of a broader pattern. Over the past years, Yemeni reporters have faced arbitrary detention, censorship, harassment, and even death, often with little international outcry or consequences for those responsible. For journalists in Houthi-controlled territories, the line between reporting and perceived dissent has become dangerously thin. Even cultural expression, such as Zayed’s song, is now grounds for punishment.

Advocacy groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have warned that enforced disappearances like this create a climate of fear designed to silence independent voices. Zayed’s disappearance is not only an attack on one individual but also a message to all Yemeni journalists who continue to work under constant surveillance and intimidation.

The call for his release now resonates as both a defense of one man’s life and a stand for press freedom in Yemen. Without accountability and international pressure, cases like Zayed’s risk becoming just another entry in a long list of violations against media workers in conflict zones.

Reference – 

https://www.sabanew.net/story/en/135103

Yemeni journalist Majed Zayed disappears amid Houthi arrest campaign