Yemen: Journalists Under Assault Systematic Violations Threaten Media Freedom

A recent report by Human Rights Watch, covered in Informed Comment, documents widespread abuses against journalists and media institutions in Yemen committed by multiple parties in the ongoing conflict.

Over a 59-page study entitled “We Pray to God by Torturing Journalists: Warring Parties’ Systematic Violations Against Journalists and Press Freedom in Yemen”, HRW examines actions by the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The violations include arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, harassment, intimidation, seizure and shutdown of media outlets, and obstruction of journalistic work.

Between October 2024 and May 2025, HRW interviewed 27 individuals (including 16 journalists) and reviewed photos, court documents, and indictments to substantiate its findings. Among the abuses documented:

• Fourteen specific cases of abuse by the Houthis, STC, and government forces.
• Five journalists have been arbitrarily detained since November 2023: three by the Houthis, two by the STC.
• Four journalists were forcibly disappeared.
• Detention of family members of journalists is often used to pressure the journalists themselves.
• Severe torture and mistreatment in custody in multiple cases.

The report emphasizes that many journalists have either fled Yemen or severely curtailed their reporting, especially to avoid punishment or retribution. Some have gone so far as to hide their identity, with one freelancer in Aden using alternative labels like “student” on travel documents to avoid scrutiny at checkpoints.

Media organizations have also been targeted: authorities have seized or shut down several outlets, including Yemen Live for Media Production and Satellite Broadcasting, Yemen Digital Media, Sawt al-Yemen, SABA News Agency, and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.

Human Rights Watch calls on all involved parties to immediately stop abusing journalists, release those detained arbitrarily, investigate abuses, and abide by obligations under both Yemeni law and international human rights law. The report urges UN member states to raise the issue in the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session, and for monitoring and accountability mechanisms to be strengthened.

Reference – 

https://www.juancole.com/2025/09/yemen-journalists-assault.html