The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory (Marsadak) have called on the Minister of Human Rights, Mashdal Ahmed, to form an official delegation to visit Bir Ahmed Prison in the interim capital, Aden, and investigate the reasons behind the failure to implement a final court ruling ordering the release of journalist Naseh Shaker.
The two organizations stated that the Specialized Criminal Court in Aden issued an enforceable ruling on January 20, 2026, ordering Shaker’s release and deeming the time he had already served sufficient. However, the prison administration has yet to implement the decision, in violation of the principle of the rule of law.
They stressed that the continued detention despite a final judicial ruling undermines confidence in judicial institutions and constitutes a violation of legal safeguards. The organizations urged the Ministry to intervene urgently to ensure enforcement of the ruling and provide justice for the journalist.
They further called on the Ministry of Human Rights to fulfill its oversight and human rights mandate by taking immediate action to ensure the prompt implementation of the ruling, secure justice for Naseh Shaker, and provide redress for the harm he has suffered. Such action, they noted, would reinforce respect for judicial decisions and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the law.
Last week, the two organizations addressed a letter to the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and PLC member Abdulrahman Al-Mahrami, calling for immediate directives to enforce the court ruling and release Shaker, who has been detained for more than 25 months.
Forces affiliated with the (formerly dissolved) Southern Transitional Council (STC) arrested Shaker in Aden in November 2023. He has remained in detention for over 25 months, during which he was subjected to enforced disappearance for a prolonged period, amid official denial of his whereabouts, before it was later confirmed that he was being held in one of its detention facilities.
According to available information, he was subjected to ill-treatment during his detention and held under harsh conditions, with his right to family visits and access to legal counsel restricted for a period, in clear violation of relevant national and international legal standards.
To read the full text of the letter, click here
COMMENTS