Yemen: journalist killed in an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition

January 22, 2016

Yemeni journalist Almigdad Mojalli was killed on 17 January in an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition in the capital, Sana’a, according to news reports. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), representing around 600,000 journalists in the world, and its affiliate the Yemen Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS) have condemned the killing and again called on the warring parties to do their utmost to protect journalists and their right to report on the conflict safely.

Almigdad Mojalli, who worked for Voice of America and the IRIN humanitarian news agency, was hit by shrapnel as a missile slammed into Sana’a’s southern Jaref suburb while covering air strikes, media reported.

“We join our Yemeni colleagues in condemning the incident in which Almigdad Mojalli was killed ,” said the IFJ President, Jim Boumelha. “We have lost many brave and committed journalists in Yemen who put their lives on the line to reporting from the ground so the whole world could be informed on what is going on. We salute their work and we urge the warring parties to take all necessary precautions and spare the lives of journalists and other innocent civilians.”

The YJS confirmed “this very sad news” and sent condolences to the journalist’s family and loved ones. “His death shows that, after years of conflict, Yemeni colleagues reporting on the ground are still unable of getting the urgent support they badly need, including safety training and protective equipment. We all have a responsibility to change this situation,” added the union.

Earlier this month, the well-known journalist Nabel Subaye writing for several national newspapers escaped a murder attempt on 2 January in Sana’a. Yemen remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world. According to IFJ statistics, at least 10 journalists were killed last year in the country, as the Federation denounced within its #EndImpunity campaign last November.

On 29 and 30 January, the IFJ and YJS will hold an international conference in Amman (Jordan) to discuss the media safety crisis in Yemen and to strengthen solidarity with Yemeni journalists. 25 senior journalists representing different editorial lines and media organisations across the media sector in Yemen are expected to attend the meeting. The conference is organised in cooperation with the Federation of Arab Journalists and will be hosted by the Jordanian Press Association. The gathering is expected to adopt a national strategy for the safety of journalists and a code of conduct countering incitement against journalists in the country.


For more information contact:
International Federation of Journalists
Phone: + 32 2 235 22 16
Website: www.ifj.org