Yemen: Offices of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper stormed and two staff injured in Aden

A group of armed individuals raided the headquarters of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper in the southern city of Aden, Yemen, on 1 February. The assailants destroyed and looted the premises and the newspaper's equipment, and injured two employees. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS), in strongly condemning this heinous attack and informs that it will be closely monitoring the investigation launched by the Yemeni authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

These are the premises of the Aden Al-Ghad newspaper following the attack on 1 February. Credit: YJS.

The Aden Al-Ghad newspaper reportedthat the attack was led by an individual affiliated with the recently dismantledSouthern Transitional Council (STC), a secessionist group in southern Yemen. The newspaper has extensively covered allegations of corruption during the STC's rule, as well as the escape of its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in early January.

Following the attack, Yemen's new prime minister, Shaya Mohsen Zindani, who was appointedon 15 January, orderedthe Ministry of Interior and the country's security agencies to launch an urgent and transparent investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

The YJS condemnedthe attack and demanded accountability. "This serious attack, carried out by armed outlaws, constitutes a flagrant violation of press freedom and media work, and a fully-fledged crime against journalists and media institutions. [...] We reiterate our solidarity with our colleagues at Aden Al-Ghad newspaper and reaffirm our support for them until justice is served, their reputation is restored, and they can carry out their journalistic work safely."

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We are dismayed by the horrific attack on the Aden Al-Ghad newsroom and we wish our injured colleagues a speedy recovery. Yemen continues to be one of the world's most dangerous environments for journalists, which highlights the need for accountability. We will therefore be closely monitoring the government's investigation to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Attacks against journalists cannot remain unpunished.