Houthi era is notorious for causing two journalists to be killed, forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, break-ins of headquarters of press agencies and media outlets and blocking online news websites.
Sana’a – Sunday, October 18, 2015
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights has said that Houthi armed group “Ansar Allah” controlling vast districts in Yemen has to stop targeting journalists and quickly unveil the fate of a number of journalists and media men held arbitrarily and forcibly disappeared in its prisons and detention centers for about seven months. Mwatana insists that Ansar Allah has to set them free immediately without any delay that might jeopardize their safety and lives, given that the armed conflict unfolding in Yemen is on the rise. The organization calls on Houthis to expedite the procedures of investigating into the violations of journalists and media men as well as some press agencies. Mwatana holds Houthi de facto authorities accountable for the violations practiced since they took power and that Houthis have to bring offenders to justice and prosecute them according to the law.
The organization emphasizes the importance of putting an end to the attacks on pressmen and journalists in Yemen and points out that the arbitrary assaults and crackdowns practiced on them have to stop as such malpractices restrict freedom of press and jeopardize the safety of journalists. The organization calls on the General Prosecution to start investigating into the deaths of journalists killed in the armed conflict and that offenders suspected of or involved in violations have to be held accountable and persecuted in accordance with the effective laws.
Based on its findings concerning violations of press since late March, Mwatana has come to know that Houthi armed group has been holding at least 13 journalists who were forcibly disappeared since last March in Sana’a. According to Mwatana’s findings, Houthi armed group and Saudi-led Coalition caused two journalists to be killed in Dhamar province after they were apprehended by the group while they were in their own way baack from covering an anti-Houthi tribal meeting in Hada’a district, Dhamar province, northern Yemen.
The two journalists were held captive in a complex controlled by Houthis. According to claims of witnesses, Houthis used this complex for military purposes and it was targeted by air strikes of Saudi-led Coalition. As a result, the two journalists along with other detainees were killed.
Mwatana confirmed that Houthi armed group blocked more than 36 news websites. Mwatana also affirmed that Houthis have broken into more than 14 offices and headquarters of some media outlets and that they took over some of them along with their contents. Most of the media outlets the group raided are anti- Houthis and some others belonged to Yemeni Islah opponent Party.
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights calls on Houthi armed group “Ansar Allah” that has been controlling vast areas of the country since last semptember 2014 to immediately release all the journalists arbitrarily arrested and forcefully disappeared in their prisons. Mwatana also demands Houthis to withdraw their armed groups from offices and headquarters of press agencies and bring back all the equipment it confiscated upon its storming these headquarters. In addition, the organization calls on Houthis to lift block on online news websites, investigate into the killings of the two journalists and bring offenders to justice.
Mwatana reminds Houthi armed group “Ansar Allah” that principles and conventions of the international humanitarian law are binding to states and armed groups, and that the principles of international humanitarian law bans forced disappearance and arbitrary detention.
Radhyia Almutawakil, Director of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, said, ” Violations of human rights and press freedom have reached unprecedented levels in the country after Houthi armed group took over power in September of the last year and that the violent conflict has been on the rise, holding Houthi armed group accountable for this serious deterioration and its repercussions.”
Almutwakil added, ” Houthi armed group has to immediately respond to the legitimate demands mentioned here , put an end to the violations of press and respect human rights and international humanitarian law.”
While Mwatana urges all local and international conflicting parties not to militarily target the press and its agencies, it condemns the declaration of the Saudi-led coalition spokesperson, Ahmed Asiri, broadcasted last March in which he revealed the intention of the coalition to strike opposing local media outlets. His declarations are a flagrant violation of press rights and freedoms and they posed a threat to the employees in such institutions. The organization demands Saudi-led Arab coalition abide by principles of international humanitarian law which calls on the conflicting parties not to target media outlets, workers and headquarters as long as they aren’t military purposes. Mwatana holds the coalition accountable for any aerial bombardment of any press agencies or media outlets in the country.
Killing of Two Journalists:
Two journalists: Abdullah Qabel, 25, and Yousif Alaizari,26, were killed on May 21 by an airstrike of Saudi-led coalition and targeted the hotel in which the two journalists were detained by the Houthi armed group in Haran Mountaintop. The two journalists were arrested in a checkpoint manned by the Republican Guards on Monday morning, May 20,2015, downtown Dhamar province northern Yemen while they were on their way back on the heel of covering an opposing tribal initiative held in Zaraja district, Dhamar province. Qabel used to work as a reporter for Suhail, a Yemeni TV channel, and Alaizari was a reporter for Yamen Shabab, a Yemeni TV channel. For the record, the two channels are oppositing the Houthi armed group.
One of survivors who accompanied the two ill-fated journalists has given Mwatana detailed account of the incident starting from their detention moment to the aerial bombardment moment. He said that Qabel and Alaizari passed away shortly after the aerial strike. He told Mwatana that he was with Alaizari and Qabel at about 9:00am on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, on a mission to cover one of the initiatives. In their own way back, they were intercepted and stopped in a checkpoint manned by forces of Houthi- Saleh alliance right in front of Dhamar University.
He added, “We were forced to step out of the car in a humiliating manner and were blindfolded. Then we were taken and locked in the basement of a building perching on Haran Mountain. We got there about midday. We were locked in and half an hour later two people came down to us and accused us of being informers. At 4:00pm, a guy came down to us holding a notebook. He noted down all data related to us such as our names, addresses, jobs, cellphone security passwords. After that, we could see nobody and we were not asked for investigation. On the following day on Thursday afternoon, May 21, 2015, we knocked and knocked at the doors, but nobody was there. At 4:30pm, we heard aircraft buzzing overhead and at that moment we were scared to death. Qabel ,Alaizari and I took a peak out of the room’s door, but we could spot nobody. To our shock, the first airstrike targeted a nearby building and we huddled together beside our room’s door. Only few minutes after the first airstrike, another strike hit our building. I was under rubble and couldn’t move. I was shouting for the others but nobody came forward to help. I was stuck under the rubble for half an hour before I could hear some sounds. Later on, I came to know that the people who showed up to rescue me were working for the Red Crescent. They broke the news to me that my friends were killed in the strike.
Brother of the journalist Qabel told Mwatana, “I was called by somebody who was with Qabel and Alaizari in the same car. I was allowed by Houthis to go with other two people. We followed the military car in which my brother and Alaizari and another person were taken. Finally, we arrived at Haran Mountain. At the same day around 2:00pm, we tried to get to the detention center but we were denied entry by Houthis under the pretext that that zone was a military zone. Houthis denied the existence of arrestees in that zone and swore solemn oaths that Abdullah Qabel was enjoying complete safety and that he was not arrested in that place. Rumors were circulating that that place might be hit by an airstrike because weaponry were stashed away in it, according to some news circulating among residents back then. Alaizari’s relatives and I visited all police stations and prisons in the city, but to our disappointment, we couldn’t find them.
He went on to say, “On the second day, we went to Dhamar Hospital in order to get a glimpse of the victims of the air strike occurred. We found a survivor whose condition was critical. He broke the news to us that he was being held together with my brother, Abdullah Qabel, and Yousif Alaizari in a basement in Haran Mountain. Shortly after this encounter, Alaizari’s family and I went again to the same targeted place along with some heavy-duty machines in order to clear up the rubble and take out the dead bodies. However, we were stopped by Houthis guarding the area and prevented from getting into the place. Houthis stopped short of allowing heavy-duty machines to get in starting from the day of the incident which was Friday through Monday. They allowed only ambulances to get in. On Monday, May 25,2015, after we put some pressure on Houthi leaders and the governor, we were allowed to get in heavy-duty machines. While we were raking through rubble for hours on end, I was called at 5:30pm that my brother’s corpse was found and that I had to rush to Dhamar Hospital to identify the dead body. We got in the hospital after sunset prayer and we took the corpse away. On Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 7:00pm, Alaizari’s corpse was identified as well. The two ill-fated journalists were laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon, May 27,2015.”
Marwan Damag, the secretary general of Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, told Mwatana that the syndicate talked with the leaders of Houthi armed group as soon as the syndicate came to know that Qabel and Alaizari were apprehended and asked them not confine them in that place. The syndicate held Houthi armed group fully responsible for the safety of the two journalists.
While Mwatana expressed its deep sorrow and shock due to the deaths of the two journalists, it held Ansar Allah, Houthis, and Saudi-led Coalition fully accountable for the killings of the journalists. Mwatana called for an independent and transparent investigation that would unveil the circumstances of such a crime particularly after Mwatana got some testimonies alleging that Houthis used the detention complex as a military barrack.
Forced Disappearance and Arbitrary detention of Journalists :
Houthi armed group “Ansar Allah” has arrested nine journalists while they were staying in a hotel in the capital, Sana’a, last June and the group refused to comment on the fate of the arrested journalists and didn’t spell out the reasons behind their detention.
Mwatana has talked to a number of eye-witnesses and relatives of the detained journalists and found out identical and correspondent testimonies that on June 9, 2015, Houthi armed group arrested nine journalists in a hotel located on northern 60 St. in Sana’a where they were gathering doing their duty there. One of the arrestees was working for an opposition media outlet.
Mwatana interviewed Ahmed Hawdhan who is a friend of the nine detainees. He said, “Around 4:00am on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, the nine journalists were arrested in the hotel while they were working temporarily there due to the availability of electricity and internet access. On the second day, I went to look for them in some police stations and came to know that three of them were held captive in Hasaba police station and the rest were in Alahmar police station. On Thursday, June 11, 2015, I went to visit them, but I couldn’t find them.”
Based on testimonies of thier families and relatives, f the detained journalists are : Abdulkhaleq Amran, 30, Hesham Tarmom, 23, Tawfiq Almansory, 25, Hareth, 23, Hasan Anab , 33, Akram Alwalidi, 25, Haitham Alshehab, 24, Hesham Alyousifi, 23, Esam Belghaith,25, Salah Alqaedi, 29, Waheed Alsofi, 40, Ibrabim Almagdhob, 28, and Mahmood Taha, 45.
Some families of the detained journalists tried to get to the detention centers in which they were confined but they couldn’t visit them or meet them despite their recurrent visits to the detention centers.
Haitham Alshehab’s father told Mwatana that at 3:00pm on the second day of his son’s detention he came to know that his son was detained in Hasaba police station in the capital Sana’a along with his colleague Hesham Alyousifi. The journalist’s father said that he visited his son and met with him for a short while. He received a notification from some police officers in charge that his son was detained by Ansar Allah, the Houthi armed group. He said that he came back to Hasaba Police Station on the second day but he couldn’t find him. Later on, he was told that his son was detained in the Criminal Investigation Prison especially in the Counter-Terrorism Unit. Shehab’s father tried to pay his son a visit more than once in the Criminal Investigation Prison, but he was told to wait for Houthi representatives. He waited and waited, but in vain.
A relative of the detained journalist Tawfeeq Almansory, the paper director of Al-Masdar daily newspaper, said, “We came to know that Tawfeeq was taken to Hasaba Police Station and then was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Prison in late Ramadan. At this point in time, we don’t have any clue about his whereabouts.” A relative of Alyousifi told Mwatana, “I met some guards at the gate of the Criminal Investigation Prison and they told me that all detainees were all fine. They told me that if I wanted to meet Hesham, I have to get permission from the caretaker representative of Houthis in the Investigation Administration. I went to the representative as I was instructed but he told me to get permission from the head of the Counter-Terrorism Unit and that I would be able to meet the detainees only after they finished their interrogation with them. ”
On April 6, 2015, Houthi armed group arrested Waheed Alsofi, 40, the editor in chief of Arabia newspaper and director of the paper’s online website. Early morning of the day of his arrest, Alsofi was seen in Faj Attan holding his camera, the friend of his work. An eye-witness told Mwatana that around 7: 00am of that day he saw Houthi gunmen dragging Alsofi away from Tahrir post office in the Capital Secretariat and drove him away on a white TOYOTA car without a license plate. Alsofi’s family called the police stations, the General Prosecution, hospitals, the criminal investigation center, political security apparatus and the national security apparatus, but they couldn’t find him. Alsofi has been forcibly disappeared till the moment of writing this article.
On July 6, 2015, at around 12:00am, Ibrahim Almajdhob, 28, who is working as a journalist for Rofakaa Development Foundation was arrested. Ali Almajdhob, Ibrahim’s nephew, said that Ibrahim was arrested shortly after he got out of a funeral ceremony in Baihan Street in Sana’a. He was stopped by Houthi gunmen driving two military armored vehicles, Pick-up TOYOTA car and a taxicab. He added, “Ibrahim was frisked and hit by the guns’ butts. He was accused of having an explosive vest in his possession. Four hours later, Houthi gunmen broke into our house located in Ansar neighborhood in Shomaila district, Sana’a, and took away my laptop, TV camera, and then arrested my brother, Qais. My brother Qais called his family ten days after he disappeared and told us that he was detained in the Political Security Apparatus. He was released later on after he spent 21 days in the prison. Ibrahim tried to call his family two months after he disappeared and his family paid him a visit in the Political Security Apparatus.”
Salah Alqaedi ,29, who was working for Suhail TV channel was arrested on August 28,2015 around 3:00pm while he was chewing Qat together with other people including Talal Alshobaibi who was working as a journalist for Al-Masdar news agency. They were in a real state office in Sixty Street, west of Sana’a. He said that he saw a vehicle belonging to Houthis driving towards the office. Houthi gunmen broke into the office and looked for Alqaedi. They led him out. Few minutes later, they came back to look for his laptop and cellphone. Houthi gunmen also arrested five other people who were in the office. Four of them were released next day while Alshobaibi stayed in the detention center for seven days. Alqaedi is still in the detention center till this day. According to some eye-witnesses, Alqaedi was interrogated and asked to give some information about certain people and cellphone numbers of others. They were looking for the names of Alqaedi friends on Whatsapp. He said that Alqaedi was subjected to torture a few days before Eid Al-Adha. He is being held in Al-Jodairi Police Station. The eye-witness told Mwatana, “Alqaedi was blindfolded and his hands and legs were tied. He was kicked and smacked in the face. After that, a dog was sicced on him for the purpose of terrifying him.”
Alshobaibi told Mwatana, “We were all detained in Aljodairi Police Station in Zeraa street, Sana’a. We were interrogated the next day and were accused of being Dawaesh. In addition, we were accused of pinpointing the places that should be struck by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition and working for the Resistance.” For the record, these are the same accusations that Houthis always level on journalists and opponents. He adds, “I was set free seven days after I was arrested. I was bailed out and asked for a guarantee from my neighborhood’s head that I shouldn’t work for the resistance or help the coalition and never circulate news on Facebook.”
On October 7, 2015, Houthi armed group abducted Mahmood Taha,45, who is working as a reporter for News Yemen and as a freelance journalist. His daughter Dina Mahmood Taha told Mwatana, ” Around 5:00pm on Wednesday, I was called from an eye-witness that a black car with glasses tinted on which some gunmen stopped by Sana’a checkpoint in Amran and the gunmen got off. They stopped my dad and asked him what his name was. When they made sure that he was Mahmood Taha, they blindfolded him and tied his hands. Then they drove him in their car to an unknown destination. I tried to dial the same number that called me earlier but I found out that it was a phone number of a street booth. ” Dina added, “My uncle was called and told that my dad was detained in Alhadaba Alsharkia Police Station. When my uncle went to visit him, he was told that he was transported to another place.” Dina said that the whole family has been trying to contact Houthi armed group to know his detention whereabouts but in vain.
The journalist Jalal Alsharabi, 40, who used to work for the media attaché in the embassy of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Yemen, was arrested on April 23, 2015 in his house by Houthi gunmen. He was released from prison on August 20, 2015 after four months of arbitrary detention.
In an interview with Mwatana, a close friend of Alsharabi said, “At 11:00pm on Thursday on April 23,2014, the driver Hussain Alqadhi along with some relatives went to the house of the journalist Jalal to fill up his car from the gas station. While he was queuing up and the electricity was off, Hussain drove his car away. When he was 150m away, shots were fired at him.”
He added, “The driver tried to run away and save his skin but the car veered off and turned over into a land plot. He got a shot in the fifth vertebrae of his spine. Hussain managed to call his friends who in turn rushed him to the hospital. At that time, the six gunmen wearing plainclothes and driving non-military vehicles were still in the same area of Jalal’s home. When Jalal’s friends arrived, the gunmen stopped their car and ordered them to lay down their weapons. After that, they allowed them to take Hussain to the Modern Azal Hospital as his condition was critical. Then the six gunmen arrived at Jalal’s house and knocked at the door. He went to answer the door’s knock but never came back.”
According to Mwatana, Houthi armed group is keen on forcing the detained journalists to disappear and preventing their families from reaching or contacting calling them, which arises concerns that the detained journalists might be subjected to torture or mistreatment or confined in unfit detention centers. Mwatana warns Houthi armed group against subjecting the lives of the detained journalists to risks of any kind.
Storming into Press Agencies and Media outlets:
Mwatana managed to record a host of break-ins carried out by Houthi armed group, Ansar Allah, on a number of offices and headquarters belonging to press agencies and media outlets over the past few months. Attacks on press increased sharply after a statement was published by the Ministry of Information which is controlled by Houthis in last March. The statement dictated that the ministry would take strict and legal deterrent procedures to the extent that it might shut down any media outlet that would spread sedition and rise instability.
In his televised speeches, leader of Houthi group, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi incited against press and journalists in more than one occasion. This instigation reflects the extent of danger posed by Houthi armed group on press because it doesn’t respect freedom of speech and expression. This group follows the policy of clamping down all opposition voices.
Mwatana has managed to record more than 14 break-ins of headquarters of press, TV channels and local FMs. These malpractices pushed these institutions to stop their press activities.
On October 14, 2015, Houthi armed group stormed into the office of Sawt Alyaman (Yemen’s Voice) FM in Al-Safyia neighborhood in the capital Sana’a and arrested a number of employees for some time.
Mwatana talked to Amal Wohaish, programs director in FM, who said, ” On Wednesday around 3:30pm, I was sitting in my office together with some colleagues: Salah Mohammed (a presenter of children programs), Esa Almorshidi,(an anchor), and two trainees. All of a sudden, we heard violent knocks. Almorshidi went to open the door and, to our shock, eight gunmen broke into the office. As soon as they got into the office, they set out unplugging wires in order to shut broadcasting.
Then they dismantled the broadcasting device and ransacked all offices. Two of the gunmen were left at the door.” Wohaish added, “The gunmen told us that they belonged to Ansar Allah and that they had orders from the Ministry of Information to shut down the broadcasting of the FM and to make sure that it didn’t support the aggression.” Wohaish went on to say, “While the gunmen were in the FM office, Ali Alrahbi, the director of the FM, came along and was taken away together with Almorshidi on a police car. They were arrested for a while and then released later on the same day.”
Mwatana also talked with Alrahbi who said that he was taken away together with Almorshidi to the 45 Police Station in the capital. He said that they were released on the same day at 6:00pm, mainly after three hours of their arrest. He added, “I am still in contact with the Information Committee of Ansar Allah in Sabeen District in Sana’a. They asked me to tell them about the programs that our FM broadcasts. They assured me that there was no problem whatsoever and that they would cooperate with me to bring back FM to function again sooners either on Saturday or Sunday, but nothing has changed. Houthi armed group is still occupying the office of Yemen’s Voice FM.
An employee in Azal TV channel told Mwatana that on August 13, 2015, Houthi armed group broke into the channel’s headquarters which is located in Libyan Center, downtown Sana’a. He said, “A group of Houthis came over to the channel’s headquarters few days before their break-in and warned all employees against broadcasting any materials supporting aggression in reference to the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, or broadcasting any opposition materials. The channel’s headquarters was broken into around 6:30pm on August 13, 2015. There were like 25 Houthis. They forced out all employees who were about 15 and then confiscated the office keys. The group is still holding some devices and the headquarters is still closed by the them.”
On March 26,2015, in the evening around 7:00pm, twenty gunmen belonging to Houthi armed group (some of them were wearing plainclothes and some other were in uniform) broke into Al-Masdar Institution for Press and Media and the TV channel, Yemen Shabab’s office in the same building which is located on Rabat street, in the capital Sana’a.
Some eye-witnesses from Al-Masdar told Mwatana that a group of gunmen on five vehicles arrived at the place and the gunmen fanned out on all the building’s entrances and some others spread inside the building.
Later on, Mwatana talked to Ahmed Alwali, an editor in Al-Masdar daily newspaper who was there at the time of the break-in. He said, “We were taken by surprise around 7:00pm when our office was broken in. Five gunmen barged in. Three of them broke into a room reserved for Qat chewing session where I was sitting together with some other colleagues. Two gunmen broke into the office of Al-Masdaronline in the adjoining room. One of the gunmen wearing a face mask cocked his Kalashnikov gun and said, ” Don’t you move a muscle, you are ” Dawaesh”, (ISIS members) you are traitors and allies to Saudi Arabia and America.” He then frisked us one by one.
Sami Noman, a journalist in Al-Masdar told Mwatana: “They pointed their guns at us and their fingers were on the trigger. They accused us of being ISIS and traitors. They ordered us to stand up and then frisked us one by one. We heard them talking about the sedition channel so that we realized that they meant the TV channel of Yemen Shabab whose headquarters was in the same building. Then they made a beeline for the channel’s office. We then decided to leave so that we started bagging up our stuff but we were stopped by some other gunmen who were positioning downstairs. They took away our laptops (Tawfeeq Almansory, Morad Alarifi, Fuad Abed and I ). They also took away the laptops of Ahmed Alwali, Adnan Aljabarni, Adnan Alshehab, Tawfeeq Almansory. “We were detained for nearly two hours and were accused of the afore-mentioned accusations while they were breaking open the doors of Yemen Shabab channel. There was nobody at the channel’s office at the time. One of their representatives came over and told them to bring back our personal stuff. They brought back our cellphones and told us that our laptops were left in one of the rooms locked by one member of them and told us to wait for him. While my friends preferred to stay and wait, I made up my mind to leave. ” Noman also told Mwatana that Houthi armed group backed out on their promise to bring back our laptops. They have never been brought back till the moment of writing down this article. In addition, the group is still occupying the institution headquarters.”
Mwatana met with Haron Alwosabi who is a manager of an office in Yemen Shabab. He said that six Houthi gunmen broke into the channel headquarters on Thursday, March 26. There was nobody in the office at the time. According to Haron, Houthi gunmen have shot open the doors and are occupying the office till this day. Mwatana also talked to Ibrahim Mujahed who is the director of Shomoo Institution for Press and Information and the editor in chief of Akhbar Alyoum (Today’s news). He said, “On Thursday, February 5, 2015, at 4:30pm, a group of Houthi gunmen driving on a five police cars and an armed vehicle arrived at the Shomoo Institution. Ten gunmen broke into the institution.”
He added, “Fifteen employees and guards were detained for nearly three hours. Then the gunmen occupied the building and confiscated all equipment available for the institution. The next day the Houthi gunmen looted the warehouse located besides the building. In the warehouse, there were large amounts of ink and paper and other stationeries which would be sufficient for the paper to be printed for three years in a row. A month later, the Houthi gunmen set out dismantling the institution printing machines and transferred them to an unknown destination.”
Blocking Online Newswebsites:
The violations of press carried out by Houthi armed group exceeded its limits to include blocking a number of online news websites in a bid to prevent the fans of such websites from reading their coverage.
Mwatana confirmed that Houthi armed group has cut off more than 36 opposition online news website and blocked SMS services. This is the first time in which a large number of online news websites are shut. Houthi armed group practice such arbitrary procedures in a bid to restrict freedom of press and access to information. The group targets all information outlets that go against the group’s policy.
Mareb Alward who is in charge of news in Sahwa news website told Mwatana, “On March 26, in the evening our online website was blocked together with some other local websites. We don’t know for sure who did block the website, but we hold Houthis who are in charge full responsibility. This arbitrary procedure came one day after were received a warning from the Ministry of Information saying that the ministry would shut off all media outlets that oppose the group’s policy. Houthi armed group accuses any opposing outlet of raising sedition.”
Alward added, ” For the SMS news service, it was shut down on April 15 on an order by the National Security Apparatus to two telecommunication companies Sabafon and MTN despite our contracts with these companies. Till this day, the service is still off and we have lost thousands of subscribers and subscriptions so that we don’t have money to pay our employees.”
Radhyia Almutwakil, Director of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights said,
The afore-mentioned incidents show the extent of the grave violations practiced by Houthi armed group against press and mass communication. These malpractices clearly reveal the dark era of Houthi regime in the history of press. These violations have to stop immediately. Houthi armed group is waging an all-out war against press and suffocating freedom of press in Yemen. Pressmen have become targets out as the violent conflict is increasing more each day.
