Yemen’s Warring Factions Accused of Torturing, Silencing Journalists HRW Report

September 12, 2025 – Yemen – 

A recent 59-page report by Human Rights Watch exposes a widespread campaign by various Yemeni factions—including the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and forces loyal to the internationally recognized government—to suppress journalism through violence, intimidation, and institutional control.

Based on interviews with 27 people, including 16 journalists, the report documents 14 new cases of abuse since late 2023, along with abuses going back to 2014 after the Houthis took control of Sanaa. Among the abuses are arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and restrictions of access to medical care. Some journalists have been forcibly disappeared; others are still being held without legal charge.

One alarming detail involves journalist Abdelkhaleq Emran, who said a Houthi prison official told him, “We pray to God by torturing journalists”. His reported treatment and that of others include electric shocks, suspension by the wrists, beatings, and psychological abuse.

Journalists’ family members are also co-opted: the report shows that in some cases, parties detained relatives to pressure the journalist or force false confessions.

Media outlets are targeted too. The Houthis and STC have seized or shut down several outlets—such as Yemen Live for Media Production, Yemen Digital Media, Sawt al-Yemen, and the state-run SABA agency—displacing staff and bringing coverage under tighter control.

The consequences are severe: many reporters are in exile; those remaining often self-censor or conceal their professional identity (for example, claiming to be a student at checkpoints) to avoid detention or harassment. Female journalists face added risks, including social stigma and increased vulnerability when they return from detention.

While dozens of journalists have died since the war escalated—including in targeted killings and airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition—investigations into their deaths are rare and seldom credible.

Human Rights Watch calls for all warring parties in Yemen to immediately release wrongfully detained journalists, stop torture and disappearances, restore independent media outlets, and ensure legal protections for press freedom. The organization also urges the international community to raise these abuses at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session and press for accountability.

Reference – 

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/rights-group-says-yemens-factions-torture-silence-journalists