Houthi militias issued a death sentence against four Yemeni journalists and sentenced six others to six years in prison, sparking a wave of anger among the public and human rights groups.
The four reporters sentenced to death are Abdel-Khaleq Amran, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Hareth Hamid, and Akram al-Walidi.
At the same court proceeding, six other detained journalists- Hesham Tarmoum, Hisham al-Yousifi, Essam Balghaith, Haitham al-Shihab, Hassan Anaab, and Salah al-Qaedy- were sentenced to jail time and three years of the militias’ police supervision.
The journalists were arrested in a raid on a hotel in Sanaa in June 2015. The group subjected them to physical and psychological torture in its detention centers in Sanaa, before referring them to trial on charges of "treason" and collaborating with the legitimate government and the coalition.
Lawyer of the kidnapped, Abdulmajid Sabra issued a statement indicating that Houthis’ criminal court specializing in terrorism and state security issues in Sanaa held a session without the presence of the defense of any of the 10 journalists.
Ministry of Information, Moammar al-Eryani strongly condemned the verdicts and denounced the extrajudicial killings orders issued by Houthi-controlled court.
Eryani said the trial lacked the minimum standards for a fair trial. He indicated that these decisions came despite the efforts made by the UN team to implement an exchange deal.
Houthi militias insist on “continuing political escalation as well as military escalation on various fronts with the aim of thwarting efforts to end the war and bring peace,” according to the Minister.
Eryani called upon the international community, UN, the Secretary-General, and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen to take a clear and serious stand against this serious escalation.
The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate described the Houthi death sentences as "arbitrary", and said that the court is not competent, stressing in an official statement that it rejects the unfair and arbitrary ruling against freedom of speech and expression.
The Syndicate stated in a statement that all efforts to release the journalists were unfruitful as the militias continue with their violations against freedoms.
The statement called upon international human rights organizations to demand the release of journalists and detainees, especially with the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.
The Media Freedom Observatory in Yemen denounced in an official statement the arbitrary death sentences saying they are part of Houthis policy in stifling media and press freedoms, and the abuse of journalists opposing them.
