Yemen Monitor/Newsroom
The family of journalist Ahmed Maher has renewed their urgent call for his immediate release after two years of being held in prisons controlled by the UAE-backed STC in the temporary capital, Aden.
In a statement, they strongly condemned the continued detention of their son for more than two years, beginning with his kidnapping without a judicial warrant or legal justification and culminating in a grossly unjust and unfair verdict against him, in violation of all principles of justice.
The family affirmed that the trial of their son or the procedures taken against him were in blatant violation of the relevant legal articles and that the procedures were legally void because they were carried out improperly and completely deprived him of his right to defense, which contradicts the Code of Criminal Procedure.
They pointed out that Maher appealed the verdict and has been waiting for two and a half months, but no hearing has been scheduled for him in the appeals court to consider the serious violations he has suffered during his kidnapping and up until the issuance of the unjust decision against him.
The family’s statement renewed its demand for a fair trial for their son as an exceptional case, preserving his full right to defense, considering the requests and pleas filed by their son against those who fabricated this case, and scheduling consecutive sessions to adjudicate the case in accordance with the law and sharia.
In August 6, 2022, the STC forces kidnapped journalist Ahmed Maher from his mother’s home in Dar Saad district of Aden Governorate. He was forcibly disappeared for several months, subjected to psychological and physical torture, and falsely accused of various charges.
On May 25 of this year, the Specialized Criminal Court for “Terrorism” cases, under the control of the STC militia in Aden, sentenced the kidnapped journalist Ahmed Maher to four years in prison, after nearly two years of his kidnapping and postponing his trial sessions.
