JournalismPakistan.com | Published March 27, 2018
Join our WhatsApp channel
NEW YORK - Yemeni authorities should investigate an attack on a media foundation's offices and the abduction of at least seven people from the building, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
Armed attackers on March 23 broke into the media foundation's Aden offices, where the daily Akhbar al-youm and the weekly al-Shomou are printed, and abducted at least seven people, according to the foundation's director Saif al-Haderi and news reports.
According to reports, the abductees are in an unknown location. CPJ is withholding their names for security reasons.
"Journalists in Yemen would appear to be at risk everywhere - on the street, in their homes and their places of work," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. "The authorities must do everything to find those who have been kidnapped and return them safely to their families."
The Interior Ministry did not respond to CPJ's message sent through its website asking if the ministry was investigating the abductions and the raid.
Al-Haderi told CPJ that unidentified gunmen on March 23 also took money, cameras, and other recording equipment from the foundation's office. The director said that gunmen looted his house the same day.
The media foundation and its papers, which focus on Yemeni news, are close to the country's internationally recognized government and Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Yemeni Journalists Syndicate co-chair Nabeel Alosaidi previously told CPJ.
Previously, unknown attackers on March 1 raided the al-Shomou Foundation's offices and set fire to the Akhbar al-Youm and Al-Shomou printing presses, CPJ documented at the time.
Violations against journalists are widespread throughout Yemen, with at least 15 journalists killed since civil war erupted in the country in 2014. – A CPJ news alert
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.