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Media Freedom Observatory – Yemen

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55 Violations Against Journalists in Yemen in Half a Year

  • 1 July, 2025

A new human rights report issued by the Marsadak (Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory) has revealed the continued deterioration of press freedom in Yemen. During the first half of 2025, the Marsadak documented 55 violations targeting journalists and media institutions, including the killing of photographer and TV director Musab Al-Hattami in Marib, the most notable incident during this period.

The Report confirmed that the security and political environment in Yemen remains volatile, with a systematic use of security and judicial apparatuses to suppress independent voices instead of protecting them. This has contributed to entrenching a climate of fear and impunity.

It also noted that female media professionals have become especially vulnerable to systematic defamation and incitement campaigns, in the absence of any legal or societal protections.

According to the Report, the documented violations included:

  • 1 case of killing
  • 1 injury
  • 7 cases of temporary detention
  • 1 physical assault
  • 14 arrests
  • 4 threats
  • 7 cases of incitement and defamation
  • 14 incidents of interrogation or trial by security or judicial entities
  • 5 attempted but failed arrests

The Report also highlighted a directive issued by the Houthi group banning any field photography or filming in  Sana’a without prior authorization, describing it as a continued restriction on press coverage.

The Report documented the following distribution of violations by perpetrators:

  • 19 violations by the Yemeni government
  • 18 by the Houthi group (Ansar Allah)
  • 11 by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC)
  • 2 by the National Resistance Forces
  • 1 by the Southern Giants Brigades
  • 3 by powerful individuals
  • 1 by unidentified actors

Geographically, Aden topped the list with 12 violations, followed by Hadhramaut with 9, and Marib, Sana’a, and Taiz with 8 each. Hodeidah recorded 6, while Dhalea, Dhamar, Socotra, and Shabwa recorded one violation each.

The Report criticized the lack of legal accountability for these violations, stating that their continued occurrence without deterrence represents a major setback to justice standards and threatens practicing journalism.  It also pointed out that the weak legal framework, the continued prosecution of journalists by non-competent entities, and the lack of judicial independence have all exacerbated the crisis and further weakened the legal protection for journalists.

Between 2015 and June 2025, the Marsadak (Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory) documented a total of 2,629 violations against journalists and media institutions. These included 54 killings, 532 arrests, and 700 cases of dismissal from work, in addition to 1,026 violations that ranged from assaults, threats, and prosecutions, as well as 317 violations targeting media institutions.
The Houthi group topped the list of perpetrators with 1,892 violations, followed by the Yemeni government and its affiliated parties with 361 violations. Meanwhile, 37 violations were recorded against the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, and 28 violations were attributed to Al-Qaeda, the most recent being the execution of journalist Mohammed Al-Maqri.
Marsadak also documented 114 violations by unidentified actors, while the remaining 197 violations were distributed among influential individuals, local and foreign media outlets, and other parties.
Regarding killings, the report stated that the Houthi group was responsible for 24 out of the total 54 cases, while Saudi-led coalition airstrikes caused the deaths of 15 journalists, female journalists, and media workers. One killing was attributed to Al-Qaeda, while 14 cases were linked to unknown actors.
As for arrests, the Marsadak noted that most were preceded by enforced disappearances of varying durations before the place of detention was revealed, except for journalist Waheed Al-Soufi, whose fate remains unknown since his disappearance, with no information on whether he is alive or has been executed. The report added that the Houthi group carried out 419 out of the total 532 arrests, while the Yemeni government and affiliated parties carried out 113 arrests.

The Marsadak emphasized that all parties to the conflict in Yemen lack the political will to respect freedom of expression, despite their constitutional and international obligations. It called for an end to all forms of violations against journalists and women journalists, the release of detained media professionals, and the lifting of restrictions imposed on media work across all provinces, including Houthi-controlled areas, Aden, Marib, and Hadhramaut.

The Marsadak (Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory) is a monitoring and information platform aimed at professionally and independently publishing everything related to freedom of opinion and expression across the Yemeni regions, while also analyzing and advocating for male and female journalists’ issues at both local and international levels.

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