CEO Indicted in Attacks Targeting Journalist After Investigative Reporting
June 3, 2025
European Union Honors Journalists from Palestine, Egypt, and Syria in 2025 Samir Kassir Award
June 3, 2025
June 03, 2025 – Yemen –
Houthi authorities in Yemen have escalated their campaign against journalists and humanitarian workers, drawing international condemnation for a wave of detentions and rights violations. At least four journalists were abducted between May 21 and 23 in the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah. The detainees include freelance photographer Abduljabbar Zayad, journalist Hassan Ziyad of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, media director Abdulaziz Al-Noum, and syndicate official Walid Ali Ghalib. The arrests were reportedly carried out without legal warrants or explanation.
In a separate case, journalist Mohamed Al-Miyahi was sentenced on May 24 to 18 months in prison by a Houthi court in Sanaa. His charges stemmed from social media posts criticizing Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The court ordered him to pay a hefty fine, renounce his journalistic work, and post a financial guarantee. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounced the ruling as part of a broader “escalating assault on press freedom” in Yemen.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of UN and NGO personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis. As of early June, at least 23 UN staff members and five aid workers from international organizations remain in Houthi custody. Some have been detained for over a year, with one World Food Programme staffer reportedly dying in custody earlier in 2025. Guterres called the detentions a “profound injustice,” stressing that humanitarian workers should never be targeted for simply doing their jobs.
The continued arrests of journalists and aid workers are straining already fragile humanitarian operations in Yemen. International organizations report growing difficulty in reaching communities in need, with detained staff unable to support essential food and medical relief. The UN says these actions also hinder ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the country’s prolonged conflict.
Rights groups and UN officials warn that unless the Houthis are held accountable, press freedom and humanitarian access in Yemen will remain under dire threat. The international community is being urged to step up pressure to secure the release of all those unjustly held.
Reference –
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2603212/amp
Yemen’s Houthis abduct at least 4 journalists, jail another for criticism of leader
