CPJ and the Marsadak Call for the Enforcement of a Court Ruling Ordering the Release of Journalist Naseh Shaker
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory (Marsadak) have called on the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and PLC member Major General Abdulrahman Al-Muharrami (Abu Zar’ah) to issue immediate directives to enforce a final court ruling ordering the release of journalist Naseh Ahmed Mohammed Shaker, who has been detained for more than 25 months.
In a joint official letter, the two organizations stated that the Specialized Criminal Court in Aden Governorate issued a final and enforceable judicial ruling on January 20, 2026, ordering the release of journalist Shaker and deeming the period he had already spent in prison to be sufficient. The Public Prosecution did not file any appeal within the legally prescribed timeframe, rendering the ruling binding and requiring immediate implementation.
The organizations noted that security authorities and the administration of Bir Ahmed Prison continue to refuse to implement the ruling to date, in a blatant violation of the principle of the rule of law and judicial independence, and an unlawful deprivation of the journalist’s liberty.
CPJ and the Marsadak called for urgent directives to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Naseh Shaker, as well as the opening of a serious and independent investigation into the reasons behind the failure to enforce the ruling, holding the responsible parties accountable, including the administration of Bir Ahmed Prison, and taking the necessary legal measures against those involved.
The two organizations stressed that the continued detention of a journalist despite a court order mandating his release constitutes a grave violation of the law, sends an alarming message regarding respect for judicial rulings, undermines the environment for media freedom, and reinforces a climate of fear and repression facing journalists in Yemen.
Journalist Naseh Shaker was arrested on November 19, 2023, by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, in the city of Aden while transiting from Sana’a with the intention of traveling abroad Yemen. He had subsequently forcibly disappeared for more than a year, amid official denial of his whereabouts, before it was later confirmed that he was being held in their detention facilities.
During his detention, Shaker was subjected to torture, placed in solitary confinement, and denied visitation rights and access to legal counsel for a period of time, in violation of legal safeguards and the rights of detainees.
To read the full letter, click here