Houthi Violations against Journalists Need an Urgent International Action to Protect Freedom of Expression
The Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen has issued a statement condemning repeated judicial procedures against the four journalists (Abdulkhaleq Imran, Akram Al-Walidi, Tawfiq Al-Mansouri, and Harith Humeid) who were recently released under a UN-brokered prisoner exchange deal between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group in April 2023.
The Observatory considers that the judicial actions taken by the Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a represent a severe blow to justice and human rights principles, contradicting international efforts to promote freedom of expression and human rights. The Houthi group has repeatedly taken the laws and treaties that protect journalists for granted.
The Observatory also expressed its deep concern over the Houthis’ insistence on continuing their practices on a considered closed case. And instead of closing the case after agreeing to release the journalists, the Houthis have referred the case back to the prosecution, regarding the journalists as fugitives from justice, which constitutes a blatant violation of legal standards and the right to a fair trial.
These journalists have endured harsh conditions in Houthi detention centers for nearly eight years, subjected to various forms of torture and abuses, including enforced disappearance. They have been deprived of their most basic rights, such as meeting their families and receiving healthcare, which shown extent of the violations committed against them.
Furthermore, they were tried under an unjust judiciary that lacked the essential standards of a fair trial, resulting in a death sentence issued in a procedure that is purely political and disconnected from justice or factual evidence. The Houthis’ continued handling of this case in such a manner underscores their complete disregard for human rights and should be met with strong condemnation from the international community.
Despite the legal violations associated with the exchange deal, which criminalizes the exchange of journalists for war prisoners, the Observatory welcomed the release at that time to end their suffering in Houthi prisons. However, the group remains determined to continuously target journalists, resulting in non-existent independent media outlets in its controlled areas.
The statement concluded with a call for all concerned parties to unite to highlight these violations, protect journalists, work to restore rights to the victims of these brutal practices, and ensure that their suffering is not merely a bargain tool in political dossiers.