Washington, D.C., April 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Wednesday’s arrest of Yemeni journalist Awad Kashmeem, head of the Freedoms Committee at the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate’s Hadramout branch, by local authorities in the country’s eastern Hadramout governorate.
“We are deeply concerned about the arrest of Awad Kashmeem in Yemen. His latest detention is a stark reminder of the alarming decline in press freedom in Hadramout and the systematic targeting of journalists by local authorities,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa regional director. “We urge the internationally recognized Yemeni government to immediately release Kashmeem, hold to account those responsible for this arbitrary detention, and guarantee his safety from any further retaliation.”
A security force affiliated with the Security Administration of Huraidha District arrested Kashmeem on the street after days of surveillance, a raid on his home, and the intimidation of his family—acts which appear to be in retaliation for his journalistic work and opinions he expressed on social media.
This is not the first time Kashmeem has been targeted. In February 2018, he was detained by Yemen’s elite security forces on the orders of Faraj al-Bahsani, then the governor of Hadramout. At the time, these forces operated under the influence of the United Arab Emirates. He was released after one month of detention.
Hadramout, Yemen’s largest governorate, is increasingly fragmented politically. While the coastal areas are effectively controlled by the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), the current governor, Mabkhout bin Madhi, maintains ties to the internationally recognized government. His predecessor, Faraj al-Bahsani, who still wields significant influence, officially joined the STC after being replaced in July 2022. The growing divergence between Saudi and Emirati interests in Hadramout has further deepened the region’s political divisions.
CPJ reached out to the Ministry of Human Rights of the internationally recognized government for comment but did not immediately receive any response.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
CPJ Staff | Radio Free (2025-04-18T14:05:55+00:00) Yemeni authorities arrest journalist Awad Kashmeem in Hadramout. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2025/04/18/yemeni-authorities-arrest-journalist-awad-kashmeem-in-hadramout/
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