Amid ongoing tensions in Yemen, press-freedom organizations have called for the immediate release of freelance journalist Majed Zayed, who was detained by Houthi authorities in Sanaa on September 23. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that Zayed was taken after leaving a medical facility, and his whereabouts remain undisclosed. His detention followed the circulation of a patriotic song related to Yemen’s Republic Day, an event disregarded by Houthi officials. This incident is part of a broader pattern of detentions coinciding with politically significant dates.
The abduction of Zayed is not an isolated incident. On the same weekend, poet and writer Oras Al-Iryani was also taken, following similar arrests the previous year. These detentions often target journalists, writers, and activists who engage with political anniversaries through social media or public displays, according to the SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, which has called for immediate releases and independent investigations into these incidents.
The escalating incidents in Yemen’s media landscape are not confined to Houthi-controlled regions. There have been reports of repression in areas held by Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) as well. A detention in Hadramout this July involved TV director Abduljabar Bajabeer, further emphasizing the widespread nature of media suppression across Yemen’s conflict zones. Human Rights Watch has documented a range of abuses by various parties, underscoring a broader crisis impacting press freedom across the country.
Access to unbiased information remains severely constrained in Yemen. Earlier in September, access to Barran Press in Marib was blocked, reflecting a polarized media environment that pressures outlets to conform to local power dynamics. Such conditions have contributed to Yemen’s low ranking of 154 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index. A recent deadly incident amplifies the risks faced by media workers. An Israeli strike on a Sanaa newspaper complex killed dozens, marking it as one of the deadliest on journalists in recent history, according to CPJ.
Advocacy groups are urging Houthi authorities to show transparency in Zayed’s case by disclosing his location, facilitating contact with family and legal counsel, and arranging his release. Broader calls have been made for all Yemeni authorities to cease arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances, aiming to restore a more secure environment for journalism in the region. The full report on these intricate issues can be found here.