The Houthi-controlled Yemen News Agency (SABA) has recently stopped salaries of five journalists and threatened them with removing from their jobs.
Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) said it had received reports from five colleagues at SABA, namely Mahmoud Al Sharaby, Yasser Izzy, and Majed Al Jabri, Thuraja Dammaj and Suad Al Salahi, that their salaries have been arbitrarily stopped by SABA’s pro-Houthi administrative officials.
The five members of YJS have been also threatened with dismissal from jobs in case they do not come back to the rebel-held capital where many journalists have been kidnapped or arrested for their opinions and positions against the militia, according to YJS’s statement issued on 25 December.
The Yemeni journalists 'union, which is an affiliate of IFJ, has condemned these arbitrary measures, calling for releasing the salaries and stopping harassment and violations against journalists.
In this context, the union warned of the consequences of continuing such policy, which has detrimental effects on human rights and freedoms.