(21) Cases of violation of media freedoms, May 2025

The Media Freedoms Monitor in Yemen has documented 21 violations of media freedoms during the month of May 2025, signaling a concerning escalation in repression against journalists and media institutions across the country.

According to the report, the violations included: Arbitrary arrests – unlawful detention – threats – interrogations – trials related to publishing.

Responsibility Breakdown:

• Houthi Group (Ansar Allah): 10 violations

• Yemeni Government: 7 violations

• Southern Transitional Council: 3 violations

• Unknown perpetrators: 1 violation

The violations were reported across eight Yemeni governorates:
Al-Hodeidah, Sana’a, Taiz, Marib, Hadramout, Dhamar, Socotra, and Aden

Houthi Court Sentences Journalist to Prison, and Arbitrarily Arrests Others

On May 24, 2025, the Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a issued a ruling sentencing journalist Mohammed Al-Miyahi to one and a half years in prison. The court also ordered him to sign a written pledge and provide a financial guarantee of five million Yemeni riyals, as a condition to avoid repeating what it described as “violative acts”, a judicial precedent that raises serious concerns about punishing intentions rather than actions.

In a related development, the Houthi group launched a campaign of arbitrary arrests targeting six journalists and media activists in Al-Hodeida Governorate. Among those detained were:

• Journalist Waleed Ghalib (Deputy Head of the Yemeni  Journalists’ Syndicate in Al-Hodeida),
• Photographer Abdul Jabbar Ziyad,
• Director Abdul Aziz Al-Noum,
• Media student Marwa Mohammed Rashid,
• Writer Asim Mohammed, and
• Media activist Abdul Majeed Al-Zailai.

They were detained at the Political Security prison in Al-Hodeida without being allowed to contact their families or appoint legal counsel, in a clear violation of fundamental legal guarantees. They were later transferred to the Security and Intelligence Service prison in Sana’a.

Additionally, on May 28, the Office of the Mayor of Sana’a issued a directive prohibiting filming or conducting field interviews within Sana’a city by any media entity or content creator without prior authorization from the Houthi-run Ministry of Information. The ban extended even to ordinary citizens and content creators on social media platforms, in an attempt to impose comprehensive censorship over content published in Houthi-controlled areas, a blatant violation of freedom of expression and journalistic work.