Newspaper suspensions, alleged assaults raise press freedom concerns

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) has continued to express concerns over a perceived deterioration of press freedoms after the suspension of two local newspapers and the alleged beating of a press-rights activist by unknown assailants. “The increasing number of sentences against journalists and newspaper closures makes us suspect a political objective aimed at intimidating journalists,” said Marwan Dammaj, chairman of the YJS committee on rights and liberties. “Parties unhappy with critical voices in the press will continue sending this message in an attempt to silence the journalists,” he added. The statements came shortly after a Sana’a court on 10 December issued verdicts against a handful of local broadsheets. Jamal al-Odaini, editor-in-chief of independent weekly al-Asboo, was fined 30,000 Yemeni Rials (approximately $154) for falsely accusing an official of administrative and financial violations. The newspaper was suspended for three months. The editor-in-chief of a second paper, Abdul-Wadood al-Mattari of independant bi-monthly al-Rassid, received a two-month jail sentence for making false accusations against a local retailer of selling sub-standard goods. His newspaper was banned for one month. A third case trying the editor-in-chief of weekly Sawt al-Shura, Abdullah Ali Sabri, on charges of “offending an official,” was adjourned until 24 December. The editors-in-chief of two other papers, al-Ray al-Am and al-Wasat, meanwhile, were acquitted of respective libel charges levelled against them. On the same day as the sentencing, two journalists from the Qatar-based satellite news channel al-Jazeera were held by security forces for two hours after filming a demonstration by textile workers protesting pay delays. Aside from administrative detentions and suspensions, there have also been more disturbing reports of violent intimidation against journalists. The chairman of the Centre for Protection of Press Liberties, Mohammed Sadeq al-Odaini, recently said he had been threatened at gunpoint by a high-ranking security officer and later dragged from his home and beaten. In a 9 December statement condemning the alleged beating, the New-York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted: “a sharp deterioration of press freedom in recent months,” with “government officials and suspected state agents targeting several Yemeni journalists with threats, brutal assaults, abductions and criminal lawsuits.” The rights group added: “No one has been held accountable for these acts.” CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper added: “The failure of the Yemeni authorities to identify and bring to justice those behind such assaults and intimidation suggests official tolerance for these violent and illegal acts.” The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, stated that the attack on Mohammed Sadeq al-Odaini was due to personal disagreements between the journalist and his attackers.