Sana’a (Thursday, November 21, 2013)  :

Freedom Foundation for media freedom, rights and development strongly condemned assassination attempt of editor-In-chief of 

Al-Emad confirmed in a report to Freedom Foundation that he was subjected to an assassination attempt by planting an explosive device in his car, which exploded immediately once he opened the door of the car, resulting in medium injuries and burns in his abdomen and different parts of his body, while the car is fully burned along with another car parking there and belonging to one of his family member near to headquarter of al-Haweyyah newspaper, in Zubairi Street in the capital Sana'a .

As Freedom Foundation is strongly condemning the assassination attempt of al-Emad, it demands security agencies to quickly bring perpetrators to justice and considers this a serious indication of targeting journalists and media freedom in Yemen, in an attempt to silence their voices.

For his part, the editor in chief of al-Ola newspaper, Mohammed Ayesh confirmed in a report to Freedom Foundation that the store of both newspapers, al-Share’ and al-Ola has been burnt on Tuesday (11/18/2013) by two masked men riding a motorcycle, where they had poured a flammable material in the door of the store and set fire and fled away, which led to the burning of large amount of copies of newspapers in their headquarters in the capital Sana’a.

Freedom Foundation also condemned the attack on the reporter of the news website (Al-Yemen Al-Saeed), the journalist Essam Mohammed Lotf in the city of Ibb, where he confirmed in his report that he was verbally insulted and severely beaten with rifle butts and hands, and his camera and press card were confiscated by seven soldiers of public security, led by one of the officers in Ibb province, because of his press coverage of transferred market from one place to another, and has filmed a number of soldiers from public security while attacking one of the market sellers.

Freedom Foundation also condemned the attack on editor-in-chief of (Al-Youm Al-Awal) newspaper, Majed Saleh al-Shu'aibi on Friday evening (15/11/2013) in the city of Aden. Al-Shu'aibi clarified in his report that he was beaten with fists and detained for interrogation for more than two hours, by a large group of people believed to be Salafists, because of his filming al-Salam Mosque in Cairo Street, directorate of al-Sheikh Othman, Aden city, while delivering a lecture in the mosque by one of clerics.

Freedom Foundation also condemned the attack on the correspondent of (Al-Maseerah TV), Iyad Ghanem on Tuesday evening (12/11/2013) in Aden city, after conducting several video interviews with a number of citizens. He reported to Freedom Foundation that he has been beaten with hands and electric wire on his head, looting his camera and an amount of (5000YR), five thousand, and destroyed his mobile phone by four masked men, two of them were armed with daggers (Janbiah), while he was passing in Arwa street, Crater district, Aden city.

Freedom Foundation also condemned the attack on the crew of (Al-Alam TV) reporter, Fares al-Jalal and the cameraman, Abdu al-Alem al-Atabi by detention and investigation for more than two hours, and threatening them of beating and confiscating the camera on Monday (11/11/2013), by the director of maritime security and one of its soldiers, in the Office of Maritime Security authority in Towahi Street in Aden city, while they were filming a TV report to al-Aalam TV in the sidewalk next to the port of tourists.

Freedom Foundation also condemned the looting and attack on the home of the journalist, Mahmoud Ali al-Haj in Sana’a. Al-Haj said in a report to Freedom Foundation that his home, located in al-Makaleh street, Sana’a city, was subjected to looting of gold jewelry valued with more than (YR 500,000) and an amount of (YR600,000),  in addition to (US$1,000) and tampering home’s content by an unidentified gang during his absence with his family, on Monday (11/11/2013), giving the reasons to his critical writings of the negative conditions in the country.

Freedom Foundation called upon the security authorities to the serious and fast investigation in these attacks, holds perpetrators accountable, and takes legal actions deterrent to them and to all of those who stand behind them, to put an end to these attacks and prevent its recurrence.