54 violations against media freedoms in 2023
The Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory (MARSADAK) documented 54 violations against media freedoms in 2023
The Observatory documented 54 cases of violations against media freedoms in Yemen during 2023, ranging from arrest, enforced disappearance, interrogation and prosecution of a number of journalists, and the breaking into and confiscating of media outlets, most notably the disappearance of journalist Nasif Shakir after his arrival in Aden, on 19 November.
The Observatory stated in a report that in addition to the case of enforced disappearance, 5 arrests, 6 detentions, 8 assaults, 10 interrogations and prosecutions of journalists, 8 threats, 6 incitement, 5 deprivations of rights, 2 prohibitions against journalists from filming and 3 cases of violations against media organizations had been monitored.
Over the past nine years, the Observatory has documented dozens of violations against journalists, media activists, media outlets and its personnel, which have reached more than 2400 violations, including 54 killings of journalists, including 2 women journalists, and in all cases perpetrators had gone unpunished.
The Yemeni government, including parties in its areas of control, topped the list of perpetrators of violations against journalists in Yemen with 28 of the total cases recorded during the year, 18 violation by the Houthi group, 7 violations recorded against unknown persons, and 1 violation recorded against powerful individuals in Sana’a.
The report added: Many journalists in Yemen can no longer move easily, relaying facts away from influence, polarization and fear of brutality, and the emergence of channels, newspapers and news websites funded by internal and external bodies, which has led to widespread rumours and fabricated news that exacerbate the conflict and deepen societal fragmentation.
In the light of the judicial breach in the case of the journalist Ahmed Maher, who has been detained since 6 August 2022, the relevant authorities shall respect his right to a fair and speedy trial, in accordance with international human rights laws, and put an end to the postponements of his trial to date.
During 2023, the report documented dozens of violations, including 15 in Sana’a, 11 in Marib, 9 in Aden, 7 in Hadramawt, 6 in Taiz and 2 in Ibb, and one case in Hodeidah, Shabwa, Amran and Lahij governorates.
The report called on the international community not to allow violations against journalists to continue. The suffering of journalists required intensified efforts to address impunity for criminals and a clear warning to perpetrators, from all parties, that they would be held accountable for such crimes and other grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Stressing that the efforts of the international community will contribute to the repetition of the happy images we have seen in receiving the four journalists released from the Houthi jails after eight years of arrest, enforced disappearance and torture, as part of an exchange deal between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group sponsored by the United Nations and the ICRC on 16 April 2023.
The Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen is a monitoring and information platform aimed at disseminating all matters relating to freedom of expression in various governorates of Yemen in a professional and independent manner, as well as analyzing and advocating for journalists’ issues at the local and international levels.