Aden, Yemen – Twelve human rights organizations have issued an urgent call for justice for journalist Ahmed Maher, who they say has been arbitrarily detained by authorities in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, since August 2022, due to his journalistic activities.

 In a joint statement released on Saturday, May 24, 2024, the organizations urged the specialized criminal court in Aden to ensure justice for Maher by releasing him in light of the serious violations in his case. They also called on the court to “preserve his legal rights during the upcoming sentencing hearing scheduled for May 28, including hearing his evidence and witnesses.”  The statement highlighted a recent statement by Sami Yassin Marsh, Maher's private lawyer, who spoke about “serious legal violations in Maher's case.”

 Marsh stated that the prosecution failed to prove allegations of spreading false news and forgery by Maher, adding that the “specialized criminal court is not competent to investigate these charges.”  He further stated that the prosecution relied on “alleged evidence that was not verified or presented to Maher, and the legitimacy of this evidence was not revealed as the prosecution's investigation reports lacked this alleged evidence.” He added that “to date, the court has not heard Maher's testimony or his evidence regarding his torture and imprisonment.”

 Marsh accused the prosecution of ignoring “a request from the court president to transfer Maher to the hospital for a medical examination to assess the injuries he sustained as a result of torture.”  The human rights organizations emphasized in their joint statement that “Ahmed Maher's case has become a matter of public opinion that requires immediate attention and action.” They stressed that “Maher's case is a significant test for freedom of opinion and expression in Aden.”  

The organizations signing the statement are the Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations, the Accountability Organization, the Hope Cultural and Social Women's Foundation, the Sad Ma'rib Foundation for Social Development, the Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism, the Strategic Studies Center for the Support of Women and Children, the Center for Economic Studies and Media, the Human Rights Monitoring Organization, the Mothers of the Abducted Association, the SAM Organization for Rights and Freedoms, the Green Dream Foundation for Environmental Studies and Consultations (HAESC), and the Dhameer Foundation for Rights and Freedoms.