Yemeni President Affirms State Commitment to Providing a Safe Environment for Journalistic Work

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:

The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi, affirmed that press freedom and the protection of journalists will remain a core commitment of the state leadership and government, serving as a fundamental pillar for building modern national institutions and the rule of law.

He warned against replicating the practices of the Houthi militias, which have turned the areas under their control into one of the worst environments for journalistic work in the world.

During a meeting on Monday with Fathi bin Lazraq, the Editor-in-Chief of the Aden al-Ghad newspaper—following the storming of the paper’s headquarters in Aden a day earlier—the Chairman of the Council emphasized that a free press is an integral part of the public’s right to knowledge and any serious path toward peace and stability.

He renewed the state’s full commitment to protecting media institutions from any threat or blackmail and deterring all practices that seek to impose opinions by force or undermine public freedoms in violation of the constitution and both national and international laws.

During the meeting, Al-Alimi listened to the details of the armed raid on the Aden al-Ghad headquarters, which resulted in injuries among staff and the destruction and looting of property—an act described as a flagrant violation targeting the right to access information.

The President praised the immediate measures taken by the government, stressing the need to accelerate the arrest of the perpetrators and all those involved, and to compensate the newspaper for its damages to enable it to resume its professional mission with freedom and responsibility.

He concluded by stating that respect for press freedom is a vital indicator of the state’s seriousness in restoring stability and building trust with local and international communities, noting that the state leadership has not issued any repressive measures against journalists in recent years.