On this World Press Freedom Day, 40 regional and local organizations concerned with freedom of opinion, expression and human rights have joined with the Justice4Yemen Pact coalition in calling on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect freedom of the press. All parties must immediately and unconditionally release journalists detained for their media activities, whether in Houthi prisons, Yemeni government prisons, or al-Qaeda prisons.

The statement stresses that the violations practiced against journalists and media professionals have made them pay a heavy price to practice their profession. In order to report events, media professionals must grapple with the culture of impunity, increasing targeting of journalists, including their families, closing civic space, and other influences that have increasingly tightened the space for freedom of opinion and expression.

This statement calls on the international community and human rights organizations to visit prisons in Yemen and interview journalists to see closely their situation there, and we stress the importance of activating all protection tools, strengthening legal frameworks to confront this situation, protect journalists, freedom of expression and redress for victims of violations to provide a safe environment for freedoms of opinion and expression in line with international and national human rights laws and standards.

An Arabic copy can be found at: