Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Sunday called for the prosecution of those responsible for the execution of Yemeni journalist Mohammed Qaed al-Muqri in Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen.
In a statement, the IFJ described the execution of journalist al-Muqri as a “heinous crime,” saying that “on December 28, the Yemen branch of Al-Qaeda announced the execution of journalist Mohammed Qaed al-Muqri on charges of espionage,” noting that he had been forcibly disappeared in October 2015.
The IFJ added, “The IFJ joins its affiliate, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, in condemning this heinous crime and calls for the prosecution of those responsible for this brutal killing.”
Anthony Bellanger, the IFJ’s Secretary-General, said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and beloved colleagues of Mohammed Qaed al-Muqri, and we condemn his horrific execution, which represents a severe blow to press freedom and the journalistic community worldwide.”
The IFJ urged the de facto authorities and other armed groups in Yemen to release all journalists unjustly imprisoned, wherever they may be.
Journalist Mohammed Qaed al-Muqri was abducted by the Yemen branch of Al-Qaeda in October 2015 in Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen, where he was kidnapped while covering a protest against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut.
Last month, the organization said in a statement that al-Muqri had been executed along with eleven other civilians accused of spying for Al-Qaeda, while his family doubted the narrative and refused to accept condolences, considering him to be forcibly disappeared and demanding to know his fate.
