The United Nations: The killing of al-Qaiti is a tragic example of threats to journalists in Yemen
English - Wednesday 17 June 2020 الساعة 08:43 am
Aden, Newsyemen
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, considered the killing of journalist Nabil Hassan Al-Qaiti in a suburb of Aden on June 2, another tragic example of the extraordinary risks faced by journalists in Yemen when carrying out their work.
Responding to a complaint he received last April from the leaders of the International Federation of Journalists and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate about violations against Yemeni journalists, Guterres said, "Since the conflict erupted in Yemen in 2015, more than thirty journalists have been killed, and media workers continue to face harassment, threats and defamation campaigns relentlessly in gross violation of human rights law. "
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his message published by the Secretary-General of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, Muhammad Shabita, on his Facebook page, expressed his concern about the death sentences of four Yemeni journalists issued by a court in Sanaa after the series of torture and denial of their human rights.
"I feel dismayed that these individuals have been tortured and denied basic human rights," he said, stressing that the United Nations opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations made it clear in the letter that he urged the de facto authorities in Sanaa to take urgent measures to repeal the sentences against the four journalists and to release them, along with all the other detained journalists.
He continued: "I personally and the United Nations system as a whole, including my Special Envoy to Yemen, will continue to call on all parties to guarantee freedom of expression and the right to information, protect the primary role of the independent media, and call for the release of detainees in line with their obligations under human rights law."
The international official stressed that all parties to the conflict must take measures to protect journalists and media workers and respect the right to access information, which is particularly prominent in cases of painful wars such as those currently experienced by Yemen.
He stressed the importance of strengthening the safety of journalists and combating impunity for those who attack them.
He pointed out that his special envoy to Yemen continues to work with the parties with the aim of silencing weapons and resuming a comprehensive political process led by Yemen to reach a comprehensive negotiated political settlement that addresses the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis.
It is noteworthy that the International Federation of Journalists and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations requesting him to support the moves to protect the lives of journalists after a Houthi court in April executed the four journalists and imprisoned six others.
