Published on 4 July 2013 in News
Sadeq Al-Wesabi (author)
SANA’A, July 4 — The Freedom Foundation for Media Freedom and Development in Yemen issued a new report this week, documenting increased violations against journalists.
The report documented the number of violations against journalists for the first half of the year, reporting 199 violations and 279 journalists and media institutions that had been targeted.
Violations against journalists were more severe than last year, the foundation reported. Such dangers included killings, attempted killings, attempted bombings of journalists’ homes, kidnappings, prosecution and threats.
While the government has granted journalists the freedom of expression, said head of the foundation Khaled Al-Hammadi, it has not seriously upheld this right, choosing instead to prosecute a number of journalists.
“Just as we were waiting for the government to expand media freedoms, we find that they have abandoned those rights,” he stated.
Al-Hammadi told Yemen Times, however, that some of the charges against journalists resulted from inaccurate reporting.
“Unfortunately, some journalists violated the rights of others. The performance of some of Yemen’s media is degrading to the profession,” Al-Hammadi said. “The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate should impose a code of ethics to curb the worst excesses of Yemen’s media.”
Yemen was ranked 169 in the Reporters Without Borders’ 2013 World Press Freedom Index.
“Journalists [in Yemen] are still exposed to physical attacks, prosecution and even jail sentences,” the organization said.
Ali Al-Faqih, the deputy editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper, Al-Masdar, said that attempted attacks on the newspaper make journalists fear for their lives.
Al-Masdar’s Sana’a office discovered a bomb in its entrance several months ago. Security forces were able to quickly defuse the bomb. The newspaper has increased security as a result.
Al-Masdar has published a number of investigative reports about corruption in Yemen over the last few years, Al-Faqih said. While the attempted violence frightened the staff, it will not discourage them from continuing their work, Al-Faqih told the Yemen Times.
