A Houthi-run specialized criminal court in Sanaa has sentenced Yemeni journalist and writer Mohammed Al-Miyahi to 18 months in prison, along with a demand for a written pledge and a financial guarantee of five million Yemeni Riyals. This ruling, announced Saturday, comes after Al-Miyahi's abduction eight months ago over his critical opinions.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemned the verdict, stating that the ruling exposes the Houthi group's "state of terror" regarding free speech and their continuous attempts to silence critical voices through a "politicized judiciary and illegitimate courts."

According to lawyers present at the hearing, the verdict was read from a mobile phone inside the courtroom, an unprecedented act that the Syndicate stated confirms the collapse of basic fair trial principles and the judiciary's use as a tool for repression.

The Syndicate vehemently denounced the Houthi-affiliated court's decision against Al-Miyahi. He was forcibly abducted from his home by armed militants affiliated with the group and subjected to enforced disappearance for several months, a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law without any legal justification.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate reiterated its full solidarity with Mohammed Al-Miyahi, demanding his immediate release and an end to all forms of prosecution and intimidation against journalists in Yemen.
The Syndicate called on the United Nations and international organizations concerned with freedom of expression and human rights to condemn these violations and pressure the Houthi group to cease using the judiciary as a tool to terrorize the press.
Al-Miyahi's trial began on May 12, 2025, at the "illegitimate" Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa. Notably, Al-Miyahi was not brought from his detention to the courtroom during the trial sessions, with Houthi authorities reportedly offering no clear reasons for his absence.
The journalist has been held in Houthi prisons since September 20, 2024, two days after publishing an article that criticized the group and the speech of its leader during the Prophet's Birthday celebration. Al-Miyahi was abducted after armed individuals, accompanied by women, raided his home and took him to an undisclosed location following his critical commentary on the Houthi's celebration methods and the speeches of their leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.