Al-Ahmadi's sentence exemplifies the escalating intimidation of journalists in Yemen, where legal tools are used to silence critical reporting.
This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 3 February 2025.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a January 21 ruling by the Ataq Primary Court in Shabwa province, southern Yemen, sentencing journalist Aziz Al-Ahmadi to four months in prison with a suspended sentence over a social media post questioning a solar energy project in the province.
“The sentence against Al-Ahmadi is yet another example of the escalating intimidation of journalists in Yemen, where legal tools are being weaponized to silence critical reporting on local issues,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York. “Authorities in Shabwa province must allow journalists to work freely and without fear of retaliation.”
Al-Ahmadi, a Shabwa-based freelance journalist who has written for several media outlets, questioned whether local authorities had rented land for a solar energy project in place of using public land in an August 15, 2024, Facebook post. He also criticized power outages in the province. In response, on September 9, 2024, the Shabwa prosecution accused him of spreading false information and inciting tribal and regional divisions through social media, according to legal documents reviewed by CPJ.
“I reaffirm with absolute confidence my innocence of the charges against me and will continue to pursue all legal avenues to prove it,” Al-Ahmadi told CPJ. “Despite this ordeal, I remain steadfast in my principles and values, believing that justice will ultimately prevail. My pen is not for sale, and anyone who thinks they can silence me is mistaken.”
Shabwa is currently under the control of the Southern Transitional Council, the same entity believed to be responsible for the forced disappearance of Yemeni journalist Naseh Shaker, who has not been heard from since November 19, 2024.
CPJ emailed the local authorities in Shabwa for comment but has not yet received a response.
