Yemen
2008
In Yemen, outspoken editor pardoned and released
New York, September 25, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release from prison today of Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani, an outspoken Yemeni editor who had been held since June on what were widely seen as retaliatory antistate charges. Al-Khaiwani, whose case was the focus of an international advocacy effort, told CPJ that he walked out…
A freed Yemeni editor offers thanks
Yemeni editor Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani walked out of a Sana’a prison today after being granted a presidential pardon. The outspoken journalist was serving a six-year prison term on what were widely seen as retaliatory antistate charges. Al-Khaiwani, whose case was the focus of a CPJ advocacy campaign, offered his gratitude. I thank the Committee to…
Fixer released, another held
New York, September 17, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that authorities in Yemen continue to hold a fixer in custody while releasing another. The two were picked up in July with a reporter for the U.S.-based television network HDNet. Mohammed Ahmed Hassan al-Bokhaiti, an interpreter, was released on Sunday after spending almost two…
Outspoken journalist sentenced to six-year prison term
New York, June 9, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the six-year jail sentence handed down today against an outspoken Yemeni journalist accused of conspiring with anti-government rebels. A state security court in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, sentenced Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani, editor of an opposition news Web site, to six years in prison for being an…
Yemeni government cancels license of independent weekly
New York, April 7, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an order by the Yemeni government this weekend to cancel the license of the independent weekly newspaper Al-Wasat. On Saturday, Yemeni Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi ordered the newspaper’s license terminated because the paper had damaged relations with Saudi Arabia, and violated technical provisions of the…
Yemeni security forces lay siege to editor’s home
New York, February 12, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that Yemeni security forces have laid siege to the home of a newspaper editor following an attack by gunmen on his home and newspaper’s offices in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. Bashraheel Bashraheel, the foreign news editor at the independent daily Al-Ayyam, told CPJ…
Attacks on the Press 2007: Middle East Analysis
Under the Radar, a New Kind of RepressionBy Joel Campagna On a Wednesday afternoon last June, Yemeni security agents stormed the home of outspoken editor Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani and dragged him before a State Security Court in the capital, Sana’a. A prosecutor questioned al-Khaiwani and later rang him up on charges of belonging to a secret…
Attacks on the Press 2007: Yemen
YEMEN Journalists covering a rebel insurgency and government corruption were subjected to a frightening array of violent attacks and politically motivated court cases. Threats against independent journalists continued at an alarming rate, taking on an almost routine air. Perpetrators, for the most part, went unpunished. Since 2004, the government has been combating a regional insurgency…
Yemeni Web sites apparently blocked
New York, January 25, 2008—Several Yemeni news and opinion Web sites have apparently been blocked domestically by the government-owned Internet service provider, according to news reports and a CPJ interview. Three Web sites became unavailable to domestic users on January 19, joining a list of at least five others that have disappeared within Yemen without…