Journalist Hamoud Haza’a’s Disappearance is a Grave Violation of Freedom of Expression

The Marsadak (Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory) condemns the raid carried out by security forces on the home of journalist Hamoud Haza’a in Marib Governorate, where he was taken to an unknown location after his door was broken and his personal belongings, including phones and a laptop, were confiscated, constituting a blatant violation of his constitutional and legal rights.

According to information obtained by the Marsadak’s monitoring team, journalist Hamoud Haza’a was subjected to arbitrary arrest on the morning of August 16, 2025, without any legal justification being provided. Meanwhile, the Fourth Security Region forces denied detaining him, despite a previous post on Haza’a’s Facebook page accusing this force of attempting to raid his home in preparation for his arrest.

A field monitoring source in Marib confirmed that a senior officer in the Fourth Security Region acknowledged that Haza’a was wanted by another security entity that carried out the arrest. However, the identity of that entity and the place of his detention remain undisclosed.

The Marsadak affirms that what journalist Hamoud Haza’a has been subjected to  constitutes arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, which are in direct violation of Yemen’s obligations under international human rights law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to liberty and personal security, prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention, and ensures the right to a fair trial before a judicial authority.

The Marsadak holds the security authorities in Marib fully responsible for the safety of journalist Hamoud Haza’a and calls on them to immediately disclose his whereabouts, guarantee his legal rights, and release him without delay unless he is formally charged through fair judicial procedures, instead of resorting to arbitrary arrest and suppression of press freedom.

The Marsadak also notes that journalist Haza’a had reported to it last May that he was being monitored, threatened, and incited against by unidentified parties.