A human rights webinar titled \u201cDigital Restrictions and Press Freedom in Yemen\u201d discussed the dangers of using telecommunications and internet infrastructure for censorship, surveillance, and restricting press freedom and freedom of expression in Yemen.<\/p>\n
During the webinar, organized on Tuesday via Zoom by the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory (Marsadak), affiliated with the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC), participants emphasized that restrictions on journalism are no longer limited to direct violations. They have expanded into the digital sphere through website blocking, communication surveillance, restrictions on internet access, disruption of media applications and platforms, and attempts to impose full control over telecommunications infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Mustafa Nasr, Chairman of the SEMC, stated that the webinar aimed to diagnose the reality of digital repression in Yemen and explore ways to confront the growing transformations in the digital space, which has increasingly become a tool for censorship, control, and espionage, threatening journalistic and civic work as well as citizens\u2019 right to access information.<\/p>\n
During the webinar, journalist Abad Al-Jaradi shared a personal experience in which his accounts were hacked, and his phone number and personal data were taken over. He explained that the attackers managed to access his accounts by obtaining a replacement SIM card and using it to recover passwords and alter his personal information.<\/p>\n
Al-Jaradi said the incident had severe psychological and family impacts, noting that he faced difficulties obtaining legal justice despite filing official complaints and pursuing a lawsuit. He considered the case a reflection of the seriousness of digital violations and the weakness of legal protections available to journalists.<\/p>\n
For his part, Ali Al-Faqih, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Al-Masdar Online, said that digital repression in Yemen has gone beyond blocking websites to include more sophisticated practices such as removing platforms, slowing internet services, and targeting dissenting voices. He stressed that control over telecommunications has become \u201csimilar to controlling the air people breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Fahmi Al-Baheth, a trainer and consultant in digital security and safety, explained that digital repression in Yemen has evolved into a system of surveillance, control, and espionage that includes website blocking, monitoring communications, disabling applications, phishing campaigns, and malware targeting journalists and activists.<\/p>\n
Al-Baheth pointed out that the centralized telecommunications infrastructure and monopoly over internet services continue to give the Houthi group broad control over information and data. He called for legal and institutional reforms, opening the telecommunications sector to investment and competition, and developing safer and more independent technological alternatives.<\/p>\n
The webinar also featured interventions highlighting experiences related to digital hacking, electronic blackmail, and restrictions on access to information.<\/p>\n
At the conclusion of the webinar, participants stressed the importance of continuing digital security awareness campaigns, strengthening legal and technical protections for journalists, and working collectively to pressure for the liberalization of the telecommunications and internet sector as an issue directly affecting freedom of expression, Yemenis\u2019 rights, and their digital security.<\/p>\n