On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, SAM Calls for Independent Investigations, Accountability for Perpetrators, Protection of Media Professionals, and Justice for Victims and Their Families
Geneva – SAM for Rights and Liberties stated that this year's International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed annually on November 2, comes at a time when journalists in Yemen continue to pay a heavy price for their efforts to uncover the truth. Killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, threats, and judicial persecution persist in an environment characterized by weak justice institutions and a lack of effective accountability for violations committed against media professionals by parties to the conflict and various authorities.
The organization emphasized that persistent impunity is no longer merely a consequence of inadequate investigations or stalled judicial proceedings. Rather, it has become a major factor in perpetuating violations, emboldening perpetrators to continue their abuses, and imposing a climate of fear and self-censorship on journalists. SAM stressed that every crime left without a serious investigation, and every journalist detained for their work without those responsible being held accountable, further undermines the rule of law and sends a threatening message to anyone seeking to expose violations or hold those in positions of power and influence to account.
SAM explained that the state of press freedom in Yemen reveals a longstanding pattern of violations committed by multiple parties, foremost among them the Houthi group in areas under its control, through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and the use of security and judicial institutions to silence critical voices. Armed formations and security authorities in other areas have also committed violations, including attacks on media institutions and the detention, intimidation, and persecution of journalists because of their opinions or reporting. The organization stressed that differences in the identities of those responsible do not alter the unlawful nature of these practices or absolve any party of its obligation to end them and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The organization noted that 2026 witnessed serious incidents underscoring the continuing threats to journalists' lives and safety, including the killing of journalist Abdulsamad al-Qadhi in the city of Taiz on February 26, and the assassination of journalist Mohammed Aydah, a correspondent for Al Arabiya and Al Hadath television channels, on June 24, when an explosive device targeted his vehicle in the city of Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate. SAM had condemned Aydah's killing and called for an urgent, independent investigation to identify the perpetrators and those behind the attack and ensure that they are brought to justice. The organization maintains that these crimes impose an obligation on the competent authorities that goes beyond merely announcing investigations. It extends to disclosing their findings, establishing responsibility, and ensuring the prosecution of everyone involved, including those who incited, planned, or ordered the crimes, in accordance with the evidence and applicable legal procedures.
In areas controlled by the Houthi group, SAM strongly condemned the continued detention and enforced disappearance of journalists and the denial of their fundamental legal safeguards. It highlighted the case of journalist Salah al-Din al-Ruhani, who was arrested by the group at his home in Sana'a in March 2026. His place of detention and health condition remained unknown, according to documentation by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The organization stressed that forcibly disappearing journalists and denying their families information about their fate constitute not only an attack on press freedom but also a grave violation of the fundamental rights of detainees and their families. Such practices demand the immediate disclosure of detention locations, guarantees of detainees' safety, and the release of those arbitrarily held because of their work or opinions.
SAM further noted that the dangers facing journalists extend beyond killings and detention to include threats, incitement, attacks on media premises, and the use of judicial proceedings to intimidate journalists. In this context, it recalled the raid on the offices of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper and the assault on its staff, the threats directed against journalist Omar al-Maqrami, a correspondent for Al Araby TV, as well as the legal proceedings against journalist Hammoud Hazza. The organization also referred to a complaint filed by journalist Raafat al-Wafi in Taiz in August 2026 concerning threats against him and the encirclement of his home. SAM emphasized that the authorities' failure to respond seriously to threats and attacks creates conditions for further escalation and may allow incitement to develop into more serious crimes endangering the lives of journalists and their families.
The organization expressed particular concern over the growing risks facing journalists in areas experiencing military escalation, especially Taiz and the western coast, and the resulting displacement of media professionals, loss of livelihoods, and disruption of media institutions. It noted that the Yemeni Observatory for Media Freedoms (Marsadak) documented 126 violations of media freedoms in September 2026, attributing 120 of them to the Houthi group. These incidents included the displacement of more than 100 journalists and media workers from Mokha and neighboring coastal areas. SAM warned that forced displacement, or displacement under the threat of violence, together with the loss of equipment, means of work, and income, threatens the survival of independent journalism and deprives affected communities of vital sources of information and documentation.
At the international level, the organization stated that the continued commission of crimes against journalists in Yemen reflects a broader crisis in the protection of press freedom and the administration of justice. It pointed to UNESCO's latest report, released on November 2, 2026, which revealed that 189 journalists were killed during 2024 and 2025, including 127 in conflict zones, while 86% of journalist killing cases worldwide remained judicially unresolved, marking another setback for international efforts to combat impunity.
SAM emphasized that these figures reveal the alarming gap between international commitments and the realities faced by journalists, particularly in conflict zones, where the risks of being targeted with advanced weapons and drones are increasing alongside traditional forms of violence, digital threats, and incitement. It stressed the need to strengthen investigative and accountability mechanisms to address these evolving threats and ensure that technological developments or the complexities of armed conflicts are not exploited as justifications for concealing evidence or obstructing justice.
The organization underscored that journalists are entitled to the protections afforded to civilians under international humanitarian law unless and for such time as they directly participate in hostilities, and that intentionally directing attacks against them in their civilian capacity may constitute a war crime. It further reaffirmed that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to receive and impart information, and that UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015) emphasizes the need to protect journalists and media personnel during armed conflicts and combat impunity for crimes committed against them.
SAM for Rights and Liberties called on the Yemeni government and the competent judicial and security authorities to initiate independent, transparent, and effective investigations into all killings of and attacks against journalists; review cases in which no clear judicial outcomes have been reached; preserve evidence; protect witnesses and victims' families; and regularly publish information on the progress of investigations and measures taken. The organization stressed that accountability must go beyond merely announcing the arrest of suspects without pursuing judicial proceedings to their conclusion.
The organization demanded that the Houthi group immediately and unconditionally release all journalists arbitrarily detained because of their work or opinions, disclose the fate and whereabouts of those subjected to enforced disappearance, allow detainees to communicate with their families and lawyers, and cease using judicial and security institutions to persecute journalists and criminalize media work. It also called on authorities and armed groups in other areas to end arrests, threats, and attacks against media institutions, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that security or political influence is not used to shield perpetrators from justice.
SAM urged the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and international mechanisms concerned with freedom of expression to take more effective steps to address violations committed against journalists in Yemen. It called for support for the establishment of an independent international investigative mechanism capable of collecting and preserving evidence and establishing responsibility as a basis for future accountability. The organization also stressed the importance of providing protection, legal assistance, and psychological support to victims and their families, and incorporating violations against journalists into transitional justice efforts and any future peace arrangements.
The organization further called for the adoption of effective national measures to protect male and female journalists, including rapid responses to threats, investigations into campaigns of incitement, defamation, and digital violence, guarantees of media institutions' independence and the safety of their staff, the removal of arbitrary restrictions on journalistic coverage and the circulation of information, and the provision of effective remedies and fair compensation for victims and their families.
SAM for Rights and Liberties concluded its statement by emphasizing that ending impunity for crimes against journalists cannot be achieved through commemorations or repeated condemnations alone, but requires uncovering the truth, identifying those responsible, bringing them to justice, providing redress to victims, and ensuring that such crimes are not repeated. It stressed that any peace process in Yemen that disregards the rights of journalists and victims, or allows cases of violations to be closed without accountability, will remain an incomplete peace. The organization reaffirmed that protecting journalism is not a professional privilege, but a fundamental safeguard of society's right to know, the preservation of victims' memory, and the establishment of a state governed by justice rather than fear and silence.