Yemeni NGO reports rights violations against journalists in 2022

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Dozens of rights violations were reported against journalists in war-torn Yemen in 2022, according to a local NGO on Monday.

In a statement, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) said 17 journalists were assaulted, 14 detained and 15 others put on trial last year.

The NGO also documented the death of two journalists and 13 cases of torture and deprivation of medical care for detained journalists in 2022.

The YJS said 37 violations against journalists were committed by Houthi rebels, while 35 others were blamed on the Yemeni government.

It called on the Yemeni authorities to “investigate crimes committed against journalists and put an end to impunity.”

Yemen ranks 169 out of 180 countries on the world press freedom index, according to international organization Reporters Without Borders.

Yemen has been ravaged by civil war since September 2014 when Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in early 2015 to restore the government to power.

The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions risking starvation.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report