Yemeni Journalists Face Enforced
ARTICLE 19, CPJ, and the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory call for an end to the enforced disappearance of journalists in Yemen, highlighting the 11-year
ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory (Marsadk) have called on all conflict parties and de facto authorities in Yemen to cease using enforced disappearance against journalists. They demand urgent disclosure of the fate of journalist Waheed al-Sufi, who vanished in Sana’a in April 2015.
More than eleven years later, his family remains denied the basic right to know if he is alive, where he is, or what happened. This ongoing uncertainty compounds suffering and sends a chilling warning to Yemen's media workers.
The Nature and Scale of the Violation
Enforced disappearance occurs when state authorities, or groups acting with their support, deprive a person of liberty and then refuse to acknowledge it or conceal the person's fate. This places victims outside legal protection.
The particular danger lies in removing victims from the reach of effective legal safeguards. It deprives families of the right to know the truth and prevents access to lawyers and courts. Such conditions can facilitate further violations like torture, ill-treatment, or death in custody.
According to data documented by the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory, journalists and media workers in Yemen have faced a severe pattern of abuse since 2015.
| Type of Violation | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Arbitrary arrest and detention | 540 |
| Cases that turned into enforced disappearances | 235 |
In many cases, an arrest is followed by a loss of contact, a denial of detention, or withheld information about whereabouts. Families sometimes receive conflicting details, prolonging uncertainty and hindering legal action. Denying detention or providing misleading information further isolates victims and allows for more violations away from public scrutiny.
The Case of Waheed al-Sufi and Others
Journalist Waheed al-Sufi represents one of Yemen's longest cases of enforced disappearance involving a journalist. He disappeared on 6 April 2015 in the capital Sanaa, which is under the control of the Ansar Allah group (the Houthis). His fate and whereabouts remain unknown, and he has not been brought before any judicial authority or charged.
His family has searched for him and demanded information without receiving any official response. They have faced threats and harassment, forcing them to change residences and phone numbers. A Facebook page campaigning for information was shut down.
The organisations stress that the continued concealment of his fate renders the violation ongoing, exposing him to risks like torture or death. They recall the case of journalist Mohammed al-Muqri, who was missing for over nine years before it emerged he had been executed by al-Qaeda gunmen in Hadramout. This shows prolonged disappearance can pose a direct threat to life.
Documented cases show enforced disappearance is often a gateway to further abuses. Journalist Naseh Shaker was subjected to enforced disappearance for nearly a year after detention at Aden Airport. He was later found to have suffered torture and cruel treatment. Journalist Hala Badhawi was subjected to enforced disappearance in Hadramout, then detained for more than 100 days and subjected to a defamation campaign that drove her from journalism.
In other cases, like that of journalist Waleed Ali Ghaleb and six others in Hodeidah, misleading information about their detention prolonged uncertainty for six months before it emerged they were held in a security prison.
Legal Framework and Call for Action
The organisations affirm these practices violate fundamental rights, including to liberty, personal security, the truth, and a fair trial. Detention without judicial warrants or denial of the place of detention constitutes a flagrant violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as Yemeni law. International law absolutely prohibits enforced disappearance under any circumstances.
The continuation of these violations is linked to impunity. The absence of investigations and accountability encourages repetition and lets perpetrators act without fear. Protecting journalists requires establishing the truth, holding those responsible to account, preventing recurrence, and ensuring remedies for victims.
The organisations call on all parties to the conflict and authorities in Yemen to immediately disclose the fate of Waheed al-Sufi and secure his release if he is held. They demand the release of all arbitrarily detained journalists or for them to be brought before independent courts.
