Houthis Continue to Block Independent Media in Yemen, Isolating Citizens from Information
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Houthi group to immediately lift the ban on the independent news platform “Bran Press”, following reports that access to it has been blocked across Yemen since the beginning of September.
The platform, which is based in Marib, confirmed that users have been unable to access its website without using a virtual private network (VPN) since September 6.
Sara Qudah, the CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Program Director, said the Houthis are using their control over the country’s communications infrastructure as a weapon to silence independent media and deprive Yemenis of access to the internet and free media.
Since taking control of Sana’a in 2014, the Houthi group has imposed strict restrictions on the telecommunications sector, banning more than 200 local, regional, and international news websites, including prominent channels like Al-Arabiya and Al Jazeera, in a continuous campaign to isolate the population from independent media sources.
Mohammed Al-Salhi, the editor-in-chief of Bran Press, described the block as part of a systematic war on independent journalism and a monopoly on public discourse. He noted that the Houthis only accept their own voice, which makes journalists in Yemen pay a heavy price.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Yemen is witnessing a dangerous escalation in violations against journalists. The organization has documented an increase in arrests since May, including the detention of Muzahim Bajaber for two weeks and the abduction and arrest of at least seven other journalists. RSF has classified the Houthis as one of the most dangerous entities for journalists globally, second only to ISIS.
Yemen is ranked 154 out of 180 countries in this year’s Press Freedom Index, where intimidation, censorship, and arbitrary detention are regularly used to suppress independent media and restrict the flow of information.
Human rights organizations have affirmed that the Houthi group’s policies of blocking and media suppression constitute a blatant violation of international law, which guarantees freedom of expression. They have called on the international community to hold the group accountable and ensure that journalists are protected to practice their profession freely and safely.
