Yemen Monitor/News room:
A group of Yemeni journalists recently released from Houthi group prisons in Sana’a have called on the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to pursue international legal cases on their behalf, seeking justice for the torture, suffering, and deprivation they endured during their detention, which lasted over eight years.
This call was made during a consultative meeting held yesterday, Saturday, at the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in Cairo. The meeting brought together IFJ leaders and members of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate Council.
The meeting discussed the overall situation of Yemeni journalists, particularly those outside Yemen, who continue to face persecution and harassment by the Houthis.
IFJ Secretary-General Anthony Bellanger reaffirmed the federation’s support for Yemeni journalists who have been subjected to arrests and violations, emphasizing the IFJ’s unwavering commitment to standing by journalists in Yemen in the face of ongoing harassment.
Bellanger also acknowledged the vital role played by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate and the IFJ’s support for the syndicate in confronting the challenges it faces.
Jim Boumelha, an executive committee member of the IFJ, discussed the campaigns launched by the federation in recent times to advocate for Yemeni journalists who have been subjected to violations and to demand the release of detainees, commending the syndicate’s efforts in supporting journalists and defending their causes.
Former Secretary-General of the syndicate, Marwan Damaj, praised the IFJ’s supportive role for the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, which has played a significant role in strengthening the syndicate, ensuring its cohesion, and alleviating the suffering of journalists and securing the release of detainees.
Damaj said that the IFJ has worked to strengthen the syndicate and stood by it during the most difficult and challenging circumstances faced by Yemeni journalists, considering the IFJ as a strong supporter of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.
Former Yemeni Journalists Syndicate chairman Mahboub Ali also praised the IFJ’s support for Yemeni journalists, calling for assistance to Yemeni journalists in this phase due to the ongoing violations they face, especially as they have become refugees and displaced persons fleeing the persecution they face at home.
The released Yemeni journalists called for filing a lawsuit in an international court, particularly against Abdul Qadir al-Murtada, head of the Houthi Prisoners Affairs Committee, who is accused of torturing them during their detention in prisons.
Jim Boumelha, in turn, requested that the Journalists Syndicate prepare a complete file with details about those accused of torturing Yemeni journalists to assist in submitting it to the relevant international authorities.
Nabil al-Asidi, a member of the syndicate’s council, emphasized the need to file a lawsuit against those accused of torturing journalists in the courts of the temporary capital, Aden, and to follow up on the case with the anti-torture committee.
