MARSADK: Calls for Immediate Release of Detained Journalists in Al-Hodeidah
The Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen has expressed deep concern over the mass arrests carried out by the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) targeting a number of journalists and activists in Al-Hodeidah Governorate. These arrests were conducted arbitrarily and unlawfully, constituting a blatant violation of freedom of expression and the press.
According to information received by the Observatory, members of the Houthi’s Security and Intelligence Service arrested the following individuals:
- Journalist Waleed Ghaleb Ali Hassan Ziyad
- Photographer Abdul Jabbar Ziyad
- Director Abdulaziz Al-Nawm
- Media student Marwa Mohammed Rashid
- Writer Asim Mohammed
- Media activist Abdul Majid Al-Zaila’i
These individuals were detained without any legal justification and were subsequently held in a prison near the Political Security Agency building in the city. They were denied visitation rights, communication with their families, or access to legal counsel.
The Observatory holds the Houthi group fully responsible for the safety of the detained journalists and activists, affirming that these actions represent a systematic violation of media freedoms and pose a serious threat to the journalistic environment in Yemen.
These arrests are a clear breach of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees “the right to freedom of opinion and expression,” as well as Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Moreover, these practices contradict UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015), which calls for the protection of journalists in armed conflicts and stresses the need to hold violators of their rights accountable.
The Media Freedoms Observatory calls on the United Nations, as well as international organizations concerned with press freedom and human rights, to intervene urgently and pressure the Houthi group to immediately release the detainees and ensure that such violations are not repeated.
The continuation of this repressive campaign sends a dangerous message to all those working in journalism in Yemen, confirming that media work is now being directly targeted in areas controlled by the Houthi group.