Mid-Year Report on Media Freedom Violations in Yemen – 2026
The report provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of security and political transformations on the media landscape during the first half of the year, including significant changes in the space available for media freedoms and shifts in the actors operating within areas under the control of the IRG of Yemen, as well as patterns of repression, information monopolization, and information manipulation in areas controlled by the Houthis.
During the period from January 1 to June 30, 2026, Marsadak documented 42 violations of media freedom, including 39 violations targeting individuals and three targeting media institutions. In parallel, under a dedicated monitoring track, the Marsadak documented 19 cases of digital violence against women journalists and media workers, which were analyzed separately.
Arbitrary arrests and detentions topped the list of documented violations, with 11 cases, followed by seven cases involving summonses, interrogations, and security or judicial proceedings related to media work. The Marsadak also documented five cases of assault, five cases of preventing or obstructing journalistic work, four cases of incitement, and three cases of threats, in addition to two killings, one injury, and one case of digital blackmail. Violations targeting media institutions included the storming and looting of a media outlet’s premises, the suspension of a media outlet’s activities, and the blocking of a news website.
Hadramout Governorate recorded the highest number of documented cases, with 10, followed by Aden with 8 and Taiz with 7 cases. This concentration reflects, in part, the political and security transformations witnessed in the southern and eastern governorates during the first months of the year, along with shifts in control and influence and growing media polarization. Conversely, the lower number of documented cases in other areas cannot be considered a direct indicator of an improved media freedom environment, given disparities in access to information and victims, as well as the ability of journalists and their families to report violations.
Monitoring data showed that violations were attributed to multiple actors. Yemen’s IRG entities or affiliated bodies accounted for 18 violations, representing approximately 43% of the overall total, followed by influential figures and activists with 10 cases. Six cases were attributed to Ansar Allah group (the Houthis), six to unknown actors, and 2 to the Southern Transitional Council (STC). This distribution highlights the multiple sources of risk facing journalists and demonstrates that restrictions on media freedom are not attributable to a single party.
During the reporting period, journalists Abdulsamad Al-Qadi in Taiz and Mohammed Ayda in Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, were killed. Criminal responsibility in both cases had not been established through final judicial rulings as of June 30, 2026. The Ayda case, in particular, highlighted the issue of preventive protection, as he had reported direct threats to his life to the relevant authorities before his killing. In Al-Qadi’s case, the motives behind the crime, the course of the investigation, and accountability remained unresolved by the end of the reporting period.
The documented cases also showed the continued use of arbitrary arrest and detention and the concealment of the detention locations of 540 journalists, in addition to two cases in which individuals remained deprived of their liberty despite the expiration of their sentences or the issuance of a judicial release order. These cases demonstrate that the justice problem extends beyond investigation and trial to include the enforcement of judicial rulings and decisions themselves.
The Marsadak also documented the use of summonses and security and judicial procedures in cases related to publication and freedom of expression, alongside assault, threats, and obstruction of information gathering and field reporting. Incitement and smear campaigns also continued, with some cases demonstrating the potential for such rhetoric to escalate from published discourse into actual threats to journalists’ safety, prompting some journalists to curtail their activities or change their places of residence.
Under the digital violence against women journalists track, the 19 documented cases revealed a clear intersection between professional, political, and gender-based targeting. Documented patterns included defamation, verbal abuse, technology-facilitated sexual violence, cyberattacks, coordinated campaigns, fabricated content, privacy violations, and blackmail. The impact of these practices extended beyond the digital sphere, affecting some women journalists’ ability to continue publishing, address certain topics, conduct field reporting, and participate in public life.
The report’s findings demonstrate that the challenge facing media freedom in Yemen extends beyond the number of documented violations. It encompasses weaknesses in protection and accountability mechanisms, the proliferation of centers of influence, and the use of security, judicial, administrative, and digital tools to exert pressure on media work. Improving this environment requires ensuring journalists’ safety, ending arbitrary detention, enforcing judicial rulings, ensuring effective accountability for violations, guaranteeing access to information, protecting women journalists from digital violence, and strengthening the independence of media institutions.
To read the full Report, click here