Yemeni Prime Minister Orders Cancellation of Suspension of Journalists’ Syndicate Activities in Aden
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak directed on Saturday the cancellation of any measures targeting the activities of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate and emphasized the historical significance of this long-standing professional syndicate. This action came in response to a decision by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in Aden, which sided with the policies of the STC.
The Prime Minister stressed, in a statement to the official Yemeni News Agency, that all ministries and government agencies must commit to protecting freedom of expression and ensuring that journalists have access to information, enabling them to fulfill their role in supporting government efforts and providing constructive criticism that aids in reforming and correcting imbalances.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the government’s respect for and support of syndical and civil work, as well as its steadfast position in protecting freedoms, including freedom of expression, while rejecting any form of restriction on press freedoms.
Bin Mubarak highlighted that combating corruption is a priority for the government, with the fourth estate playing a crucial role in raising awareness on this issue and being a key partner in fulfilling national duties to serve citizens. He expressed his hope that journalists and media professionals would assist in providing objective constructive criticism based on the public interest.
The Prime Minister praised the patriotic role of free journalists and media professionals in the battle to restore the state and end the Iranian-backed Houthi coup, despite the repression, mistreatment, and violations they have faced from the Houthi terrorist militia, including murder, abduction, and enforced disappearances.
He confirmed their ongoing role in highlighting the extent of the suffering and tragedy left by the Houthi coup, and in putting an end to the impunity of its leaders for the crimes they commit against the fourth estate and the Yemeni people, as well as opposing their racist and sectarian rhetoric that is foreign to Yemeni society.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in the Yemeni government issued a decision to suspend the activities of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate in the country’s temporary capital.
The ministry justified its decision by stating that the syndicate had not regularized its legal status in the southern city and had not responded to calls to relocate its headquarters to Aden or to hold an electoral session under the ministry’s supervision.
The ministry pointed out that the syndicate was conducting its activities in Aden and in regions under the government’s control “illegally,” which necessitated intervention to organize its work in accordance with local laws.
