Press Bloc Denounces Detention of Suhail TV Correspondent and Confiscation of His Equipment in Mukalla
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Bloc of Journalists, Media Professionals, and Activists of the Eastern Governorates condemned on Thursday the arbitrary detention, verbal abuse, and confiscation of journalistic equipment experienced by Suhail TV correspondent, Imad Al-Amri, during his field coverage in the city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt Governorate in eastern Yemen.
In a statement, the bloc said that Al-Amri was subjected to detention, investigation, and the searching of his phone and camera, in addition to the confiscation of his work tools and being detained for hours. It considered this “a blatant violation of the freedom of the press and media, and a transgression of the rights guaranteed by law to journalists while practicing their profession.”
The bloc declared its full solidarity with Suhail TV correspondent, calling on the local authority and security agencies in Hadramawt to open an urgent and transparent investigation into the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that such violations against journalists are not repeated.
It also called on media institutions, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, and local and international human rights organizations to condemn what it described as “practices targeting journalistic work,” and to work on strengthening the protection of journalists and safeguarding their right to access information and practice their profession freely and independently.
The bloc emphasized that protecting journalists and respecting their professional role represents a fundamental pillar of the rule of law, considering that any assault on journalists is an assault on society’s right to knowledge, and necessitates firm measures to prevent the recurrence of such violations.
