A Gunman Opens Fire on Secretary-General of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Yemen's Sanaa

The Secretary-General of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, Mohammed Shubaita, was exposed to gunfire in Sanaa today, causing him a serious injury. One of his relatives was killed, and another was injured in the attack.

The Yemeni Journalist Syndicate issued a statement, saying the attack happened near the Information Ministry in Sanaa. The statement added, "A gunman stopped the car of Mohammed Shubaita and began shooting toward him. This was followed by direct gunfire on the car, resulting in the death of Mohammed Shubaita's cousin and the injury of another relative."

 According to the statement, The Secretary-General of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate was exposed to two gunshots in the leg and one in the abdomen.

He was transferred to the hospital for treatment. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate holds the de facto authority in Sanaa responsible for the safety of Mohammed Shubaita.

It has been nine years since the war on media freedom began in Yemen, and violations against journalists continue to rise nonstop. Throughout 2023, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate documented 82 cases of violations committed against journalists, photographers, media outlets, media headquarters, and journalists' property.

Yemen is ranked 154th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

The media are controlled by the various parties involved in the conflict. This makes providing independently reported news and information in Yemen a difficult task in Yemen. Journalists are subject to abduction and attacks by the Houthi group, Al Qaeda operatives and the government.