Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties expressed deep concern over the actions taken by security forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council in the city of Aden, who raided the office of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper and arrested its editor-in-chief, Fathi bin Lazraq, on the morning of Saturday, 27 September 2025. The organization considers this action a grave violation of human rights and of the freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by the Yemeni Constitution and international covenants.

The organization stated that Fathi bin Lazraq had posted a statement reporting that a security force had raided the newspaper’s office and forcibly closed it using weapons. He later broadcast a live video documenting the moment of the raid and confirmed in a subsequent live broadcast on his page that he had been released by the Cabota Police in Aden. This underscores the seriousness of the blatant violation of his right to carry out his journalistic work freely and safely.

SAM pointed out that restricting journalists and obstructing their work is a serious indicator of the deterioration of rights and freedoms in Aden, noting that such conduct reflects a concerning reality that threatens what remains of a free civic space and undermines the foundations of a civil state based on the rule of law and the guarantee of fundamental rights.

The organization emphasized that freedom of speech is a cornerstone of any democratic society and the true guarantee for protecting individual dignity, raising public awareness, exposing violations, and combating impunity.

SAM affirmed that targeting journalists because of their opinions or professional activity constitutes a direct violation of Yemen’s international obligations in the field of human rights, calling for respect for press freedom and the protection of journalists from any retaliatory acts or threats.

The organization urged the authorities in Aden to stop restricting press freedom and to work to safeguard media freedom, considering it an inalienable right and a fundamental pillar for any genuine democratic process.