Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Yemen Media Freedom Observatory announced on Thursday that it has documented 16 violations of media freedom in the country during the month of September.
In a statement, the observatory said that the documented violations included one case of a verdict issued against journalist Taha al-Ma’amari, four cases of arrest, and 10 cases of trials and interrogations of journalists, as well as one case of persecution and threats.
The observatory also recorded 11 violations committed by the Yemeni government and parties in areas under its control, and 5 other cases committed by the Houthi group, noting that the violations occurred in five Yemeni governorates: Aden, Sana’a, Hadramaut, Taiz, and Dhamar.
The statement explained that the Houthi group has returned to conducting intensive campaigns against journalists and activists in areas under its control, launching widespread arrests of journalists and activists, including journalists Fuad al-Nahari, Muhammad al-Sahbani, Abdo al-Madan, and Muhammad al-Miyahi, due to their posts on social media expressing their opinions regarding the anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, which the Yemeni people consider a historic occasion for liberation from the Imami rule.
The Media Freedom Observatory pointed out that, exacerbating the situation, the Specialized Primary Criminal Court in Sana’a, controlled by the Houthi group, issued a death sentence against journalist Taha al-Maamari by firing squad and the confiscation of his property, including his company “Yemen Digital Media”.
It indicated that in the city of Aden, under the control of the Yemeni government, which is supposed to provide a safer environment for journalists, ten journalists were accused in serious cases and considered fugitives from justice in relation to the case of the assassination of Brigadier General Adnan al-Hammadi, commander of the 35th Brigade, namely (Abdul Aziz al-Majidi, Wiam al-Sufi, Ahmed al-Zabhani, Walid Tawfiq, Musab al-Qadsi, Mukhtar al-Wajeeh, Yasser al-Muleki, Amrous al-Samdi, Haitham al-Namri, Yassin al-Alili).
