Demands for greater cooperation between journalists and lawyers to face violations in a webinar on Legal Protection for Journalists

Media Freedom Observatory has organized a webinar on legal protection for journalists in Yemen, which Several of journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders demand for expanding the cooperation between journalists and lawyers to face the media violation, also raising the awareness to the journalists of legal provisions for journalism to avoid the legal accountability.

At the beginning, the chairman of Media Freedom Observatory (MARSADAK) has emphasized the importance of the webinar at the same time that the violations cases are increasing against journalists. It has been monitored 56 violations, which push MARSADAK to work early for rising the legal awareness for journalists during working.

Also, he added that ” MARSADAK has adopted many violations cases of journalists and advocate for them or provide legal advice through the observatory’s legal support window, which follows precise professional standards in this aspect”.

As well as; the journalist Sabri Ibn Salmeen Makhashen has presented his experience with the proceedings against him, and how he was prosecuted by the security, intelligence and judicial forces where he was arrested and imprisoned in 2018 for two months in solitary confinement in connection with his journalistic writings. After leaving Yemen, the authorities reported that he was a fugitive and requested through Interpol.

Plus, he added that “after the appointment of the new Governor of Hadhrmout Bin Madi, we obtained promises to protect freedom of media and to repeal all judgements and cases against journalists, but I was surprised yesterday by the notice by the Criminal Court of my interrogation request to attend the trial hearing, which will be held on September 21″.

In addition; the lawyer and human rights defender Omar Alhemiari has presented many legal axis including the legalizations, the journalistic working rules and how could the journalist protect him/herself from the legal accountability before and after the publication.

Also, he said that ” The journalist’s lack of knowledge of the laws available to him has made him liable for legal accountability, so the journalist’s responsibility to protect himself and his knowledge of his professional rights, duties and obligations begins. The law has also provided the journalist the guarantees that he is entitled to exercise his work freely in accordance with the media and Publications Act and that there is no censor of a journalist in the exercise of his work except within the limits of the law, and therefore no journalist must be asked by any authority unless it is unlawful”.

On the other hand; the lawyer Abdulrahman Barman confirmed that the establishment of the media Procurator’s Office without a law regulating its work is a serious decision on the right of the media and electronic publishing, targeting the media, as well as; targeting citizens’ media such as Facebook and the rest of social media, which has become one of the tools of popular censorship, especially following the disruption of many government’s institutions as a result of the war in Yemen.

The Lawyer Hiba Aidarous stressed the importance of activating media and professional bodies such as: Ministry of Information, Journalists’ Association and Bar Association because their absence reflects the freedom and professionalism of the media and invited journalists to learn about laws relating to the journalism, publications, public offences and publishing Because journalists’ issues are most due to their lack of knowledge of the laws governing journalistic work and the limitations thereon, work more professionally, away from adapting journalistic work for political purposes and ensuring that information is valid before it is published or circulated on social media sites. Also, resorting to legal frameworks in the face of institutional corruption.

The webinar has lots of discussions and questions from journalists and activists participated. They emphasized the importance of raising awareness of media legislation that regulating journalistic work and protecting the journalists from disinformation, and Participants denounced the use of the judiciary as a tool for restricting media freedoms and overpowering journalists to specialized criminal courts.

Participants also demand for greater cooperation and partnership between lawyers and journalists to face the abusive practices against journalists in different regions of Yemen.

The Observatory for Media Freedoms in Yemen is a monitoring and information platform aimed to disseminate all matters relating to freedom of opinion and expression in various regions of Yemen in a professional and independent manner, including the analyzing and advocating for journalists’ issues at the local and international levels.