Yahya Al-Sawari, a Yemeni freelance journalist reporting for the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies and Bilqis Channel, was abducted on 3 July 2019 in Al-Ghaydah while attempting to document protesters injured in a raid carried out by local militias aligned with the Saudi-led coalition. Armed individuals detained him and transferred him first to the Criminal Investigation Prison, then handed him over to Saudi forces stationed at Al-Ghaydah airport, all without explanation or due legal process. His relatives and press freedom organisations received no information regarding his location, prompting international calls for his immediate release. After nearly two months in secret detention, Yahya managed to escape from an illicit prison run by Saudi-backed militia in Al-Mahra province. During captivity he endured severe psychological and physical abuse, including electrocution and threats against his younger brother Badr. As of 2025, no publicly available updates indicate any renewed detention or further judicial actions against him.