International Federation of Journalists Officially Joins Calls to Exclude Houthi Leader “Al-Mortada” from Muscat Negotiations
Yemen Monitor / Muscat / Exclusive:
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) announced on Friday its official endorsement of the call by the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate to exclude the Houthi group’s leader, Abdulqader Al-Mortada, from participating in the upcoming round of negotiations in Muscat. This move comes against the backdrop of documented accusations of his direct involvement in committing brutal torture crimes against abducted journalists in the group’s prisons.
The Federation, which represents the global voice of journalists, confirmed its full support for the position of the Yemeni Syndicate, which rejects the presence of Al-Mortada—who holds the position of head of the Houthis’ Committee for Prisoner Affairs—within the negotiating delegations sponsored by the United Nations.
In its statement, the international organization cited horrific testimonies given by recently released journalists, who confirmed they were subjected to severe physical and psychological violations under Al-Mortada’s personal supervision during their detention, which lasted for years.
For his part, Anthony Bellanger, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Journalists, stated: “We join our voice with the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate in calling on the UN Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to ensure the exclusion of Al-Mortada from the Muscat talks and any future negotiation rounds.”
Bellanger added: “Allowing a person accused of committing torture crimes against journalists to sit at the negotiating table is an insult to the victims and undermines efforts to establish peace and justice.”
The Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate had previously sent an urgent letter to the UN Envoy, calling for not allowing those it described as “enemies of press freedom and violators of human rights” to represent any party in the ongoing negotiations, noting that Al-Mortada’s presence represents a “reward for impunity.”
Abdulqader Al-Mortada is one of the most prominent security leaders in the Houthi group and the primary official in charge of the prisoners and abductees file, a file that witnesses significant complexities in negotiation rounds between the Yemeni government and the group. Al-Mortada’s committee faces repeated accusations from local and international human rights organizations of turning prisons into “human slaughterhouses.” This international move coincides with the start of a new round of negotiations in the Omani capital, Muscat, aimed at addressing outstanding humanitarian and economic files, amid fears that the presence of controversial figures could obstruct any tangible progress.
