Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the escalating violations against writers, journalists, and activists in areas under Houthi control are part of a systematic policy aimed at suppressing freedom of opinion and expression, revealing a repressive climate that threatens public freedoms and undermines the right to civic participation.

The organization reported that the Houthis abducted poet and writer Oras Al-Iryani on September 22, 2025, noting that he left his home in Sana’a after sunset and then lost contact as his phone was switched off. It added that the writer’s Facebook page disappeared only hours after his disappearance.

The organization further documented the abduction of journalist Majed Zayed on September 23, 2025, indicating that this occurred just two days after he posted a patriotic song celebrating the Yemeni flag on Facebook, coinciding with the anniversary of the September 26 Revolution.

SAM confirmed that the fate of both remains unknown and their whereabouts undisclosed, stressing that these arrests are part of a recurring Houthi policy of retaliating against anyone who commemorates the September 26 Revolution or expresses positions related to this national occasion, including raising flags and sharing patriotic songs.

The organization pointed out that retaliating against those who celebrate the September 26 Revolution constitutes an attempt to erase a national memory that Yemenis regard as a glorious historical milestone, warning that targeting such commemorations and detaining individuals for them poses serious harm to the social fabric and national identity.
SAM emphasized that these arrests and related actions are a clear manifestation of repression, persecution, and the confiscation of fundamental freedoms, underscoring that they constitute a blatant violation of human rights, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, personal security, and protection from abduction and arbitrary detention.

The organization called on the Houthis to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the two abductees, allow their families, lawyers, and human rights organizations to communicate with them without restrictions, and enable transparent and independent investigations into the circumstances of their disappearance, holding those responsible for violations accountable. It also urged their immediate and unconditional release.

Furthermore, SAM called on the international community, including UN human rights mechanisms, the European Union, and the United Nations, to immediately condemn and pressure the Houthis to end their policy of persecuting journalists, writers, and activists, and to work toward ensuring Yemen’s compliance with its obligations under relevant international conventions, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention and the protection of freedoms of expression and assembly.

SAM reaffirmed the urgent need for measures to protect journalists, writers, and activists from arrest and harassment, calling on local and international civil society organizations and media outlets to intensify their efforts to monitor, document, and publicize violations, and to provide protection for those at risk.