Report Finds 22 Nigerian States Restrict Expression, 13 Hostile to Journalists
September 10, 2025
Journalism’s DEI Momentum Erodes: What the Recent Retreat Shows
September 11, 2025
A new Human Rights Watch report reveals systematic violations against journalists across Yemen, carried out by all sides of the ongoing conflict. Since 2014, media workers have endured arbitrary detention, torture, disappearances, and killings at the hands of the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Among the most harrowing cases are those of Abdelkhaleq Emran, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Hareth Hamid, and Akram al-Walidi, journalists detained by the Houthis for eight years. They suffered torture, denial of medical care, and even death sentences before being freed in prisoner exchanges in 2023. Mohammed al-Salahi, detained in 2018, was also tortured despite a court ordering his release, only regaining freedom five years later. These cases exemplify the widespread use of the justice system to silence dissent.
Disappearances have continued into 2024. Mohammed al-Mayahi was detained by the Houthis in September, while Mohammed al-Nabhi vanished in April. Others, including Fahd Yahia al-Arhabi, have been targeted by the STC. Journalists face constant threats of abduction, harassment at checkpoints, and intimidation of family members, forcing many into exile or anonymity.
Institutional repression is also rampant. The Houthis have seized or shut down media outlets such as the state-run SABA News Agency, Al-Thawra, and Al-Masdar. Under STC control, similar crackdowns have closed independent outlets and silenced journalists in Aden and the south.
The toll has been deadly. Between 2015 and 2023, dozens of journalists were killed in airstrikes, bombings, assassinations, or crossfire. Investigations into these deaths remain rare, fostering an entrenched climate of impunity.
Human Rights Watch concludes that the warring parties’ systematic violations are not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate strategy to suppress information and control narratives. By targeting the press, they deny the Yemeni public the right to know, while ensuring accountability for war crimes remains elusive.
References –