Khalid Al Karimi
After enduring nine years of forced disappearance, Yemeni journalist Mohammed Al Muqri met a tragic fate-execution. In October 2015, Al Qaeda in Yemen’s Mukalla detained and forcibly disappeared him. Since then, neither his family nor the Yemeni authorities had any knowledge of his whereabouts.
Throughout the decade-long disappearance, there was hope that Al Muqri might one day be found alive. However, on December 29, 2024, shocking news emerged: Al Qaeda announced it had executed the journalist, accusing him of ‘espionage.’
Al Muqri’s execution by Al Qaeda serves as yet another example of the group’s brutality and a stark reminder of the dangers journalists face in Yemen. Even a journalist sitting at home or walking through the city with a camera, pen, and notebook risks being arrested, jailed, and labelled a spy without a fair trial.
Since the civil war began in 2015, journalism in Yemen has become perilous, with killings, detentions, and imprisonments commonplace. Reporting sensitive political and war-related issues often provokes anger from Yemen’s warring factions, leading to violence against journalists.
Since 2015, Yemen’s warring factions have committed 1,700 violations against the media sector, according to a report by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate. This includes the closure of media outlets, the blocking of local, Arab, and international websites, and the murder of 45 journalists.
The risks of working in journalism in Yemen are unmistakably evident, making it an unappealing career choice even for graduates of the country’s mass communication colleges. When a journalist is detained by a militant group, neither their family, international organizations, nor the government can intervene to secure their release.
Al Muqri’s fate is a stark example of the immense challenges in protecting journalists in Yemen. With the country deeply divided and various militant groups controlling fragmented territories, threats to media workers are ever-present.
Additionally, travelling between cities is fraught with challenges, as various authorities-such as the Yemeni government, the Ansar Allah Houthi group, southern separatists, and Al Qaeda-control different regions independently. In such a fragmented nation, achieving justice and press freedom remains an elusive goal.
While many Yemeni journalists continue to operate in a perilous climate, numerous others have abandoned the profession and sought work in other fields. Faisal Al Siraji’s story is a memorable example. Once a journalist, Al Siraji became an ice seller on the streets of Sanaa.
In 2015, as the war broke out, Al Siraji left journalism and started selling ice cubes to passersby, especially during the summer. For him, the choice was clear: although journalism might have provided an income, it could have cost him his life, peace of mind, or freedom of movement.
Unlike Al Siraji, journalists aligned with political and military factions experience relatively better conditions. They operate within the confines of their employers’ agendas, ensuring a degree of safety and financial stability. However, their freedom is constrained, as their movement is limited by the nature of their work and affiliations, effectively trapping them within a geographic cage.
The political and military rivalry in Yemen fuels ongoing turbulence and a lack of accountability. In such a chaotic environment, those who violate press freedoms take advantage, mistreating, tormenting, and abusing journalists with little fear of reprisal.
Given this harsh reality, Yemeni media workers are left with limited options: continue working in this perilous environment, flee the country, or abandon their profession altogether. Each option is a bitter choice.
Today, Yemen’s journalists, particularly those who are independent, face an unending ordeal, as reporting remains a perilous endeavour in a war-torn country contested by various groups. What is urgently needed are initiatives from concerned regional, international, and national authorities to protect Yemeni media workers and help alleviate their suffering.
Khalid Al Karimi, PhD is a freelance journalist and editor in Yemen. He contributed to several international news outlets, including Al Jazeera, The New Arab and Middle East Eye. He previously worked as a full-time editor and reporter for the Yemen Times newspaper.
Khalid Al Karimi, PhD is a freelance journalist and editor in Yemen. He contributed to several international news outlets, including Al Jazeera, The New Arab and Middle East Eye. He previously worked as a full-time editor and reporter for the Yemen Times newspaper.
