A recent report released by the Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen raised serious concerns about the growing pattern of systematic violations targeting journalists and media institutions throughout Yemen.
The Observatory, a platform operated under the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC), recorded 98 documented incidents occurred during 2024, ranging from arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances to physical assaults and politically motivated prosecutions aimed at silencing independent and critical media voices.
The report painted a stark picture of the hostile climate in which media professionals operate—one shaped by the overlap of political and security powers with judicial authority, and the continued misuse of legal tools to stifle freedom of expression.
According to the report, the challenges facing media freedom in Yemen persist both in territories controlled by the Houthi rebels and in areas administered by the internationally recognized government of Yemen.
In addition to documenting violations, the report included detailed legal assessments of key cases, revealing how laws are frequently manipulated to criminalize journalism rather than protect the rights of media practitioners and uphold the principles of free expression.