“Disappeared After Facebook Posts”… “IFJ” Demands Houthis Release Journalists Detained Since September
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on the Houthi group in Yemen to immediately release journalist Majed Zayed and writer Auras Al-Eryani, who have been detained in Sana’a since the end of last September, confirming that their detention constitutes a serious violation of freedom of expression and journalists’ rights.
The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS), in a joint statement with the IFJ, said that journalist Majed Zayed was kidnapped on September 23, 2025, while leaving a medical center in the capital, Sana’a, hours after he published a post on his Facebook page celebrating the anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, which established the Republican system in Yemen—an occasion not recognized by the Houthi group as a national holiday.
The statement added that the kidnapping occurred in the context of the crackdown and arrest campaigns intensified by the group prior to the anniversary of the Revolution, which included a number of journalists and citizens.
The day before Zayed’s arrest, writer Auras Al-Eryani, known for his satirical writings criticizing the political and social reality in Yemen, was kidnapped. His Facebook page was deleted after his arrest, and no details about his place of detention have been known until now.
The Syndicate pointed out that the continued detention of the journalists without any legal justification or clear judicial procedures is part of a growing approach to silence dissenting voices or those critical of the Houthi authorities. It emphasized that “detaining journalists because of their opinions or professional activities is a blatant violation of the Yemeni Constitution and local laws, as well as international conventions guaranteeing freedom of the press and opinion.”
For his part, Anthony Bellanger, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said that “the kidnapping of journalist Majed Zayed and writer Auras Al-Eryani constitutes a flagrant attack on the fundamental principles of freedom of expression and human dignity.” He added that the Federation “demands the de facto authorities in Sana’a and all armed groups in Yemen to immediately release them and all unjustly detained journalists in the country.”
The International Federation of Journalists and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate continue to follow the case and advocate for the protection of press freedom and an end to violations against media professionals in areas under the control of the Houthi group.
