Barran Press
The Yemeni Journalists Union on Saturday, August 24, 2024, condemned the kidnapping of journalist Fahad Al-Arhabi by the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, for the third time in Amran Governorate (northern Yemen).
According to a statement from the union, seen by "Barran Press," the Houthi group kidnapped Al-Arhabi last Wednesday following his previous publication about the seizure of land belonging to the Amran Cement Factory.
The union stated that it received a report from Al-Arhabi's relatives informing them of his kidnapping. The union noted that Al-Arhabi had informed them in January that the Houthi security apparatus had reopened the case against him, and he was facing new charges related to the same case that led to his kidnapping last year for over two months before his release on bail.
In its statement, the union condemned the criminalization of journalistic work and its transformation into a crime, considering this act a blatant violation of the Yemeni constitution, the press law, and the right to access information.
The union demanded that the relevant authorities in Amran immediately release Al-Arhabi and cease the filing of fabricated charges against him. It also called on all organizations concerned with freedom of opinion and expression to stand in solidarity with Al-Arhabi and exert pressure to ensure his protection and secure his release.
On Friday, sources close to Al-Arhabi reported that he was kidnapped and disappeared by the Houthi security and intelligence agency in Amran Governorate, according to journalist Faris Al-Hamri.
The Houthis previously kidnapped Al-Arhabi from his home in Amran last year. He suffered health problems related to his heart and colon, and his health deteriorated significantly during his detention for over two months.
Al-Arhabi was first kidnapped by the Houthis in July and held captive for a month after publishing details about the storming of a wedding hall.
The Houthis had previously dismissed Al-Arhabi from his position as media official at the Amran Cement Factory and stopped all his financial benefits after he defended and refused the seizure of clay quarries belonging to the factory in Sana'a Governorate, estimated at over 7,000 bricks, by a fictitious association called "Nabras Charity," headed by the brother of Mahdi Al-Mashat, the head of the Houthi Political Council.