The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has documented numerous human rights violations in Yemen over the past three months, perpetrated by parties to the ongoing conflict. These violations include the continued arbitrary detention of a prominent human rights lawyer and journalist, the ongoing targeting of journalists, media professionals, and other activists, and the imposition of severe restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Human rights lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra is on hunger strike

On 07 December 2025, prominent human rights lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra began a hunger strike to protest his arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention.

On 11 December 2025, his brother, Waleed Sabra, posted the following on his Facebook page under the title (Help Appeal): “My brother, lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra, called me a short while ago and told me to contact lawyers so they could at least allow me a visit. I’m on a hunger strike and they’ve put me back in solitary confinement.” He concluded his appeal with, “Save my brother, save lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra.” During the call, he confirmed that he was being held in one of the secret prisons run by the Security and Intelligence Service in the capital, Sana’a.

On 15 September 2025, an armed group affiliated with the Houthi group arrested him after storming his office in the Shamila area of the capital, Sana’a, and taking him to an unknown location. 

On 14 October 2025, GCHR, along with several leading human rights organisations working in Yemen, issued a joint appeal calling for his immediate and unconditional release. The appeal stated, “Sabra is one of the most prominent lawyers who has worked tirelessly to defend those detained based on their peaceful exercise of their human rights in Yemen. He uses his Facebook page to express his personal views, defend the human rights of people in Yemen, and publish updates on the cases he defends.”

For more information on his case, see here.

Actress and model Intisar Al-Hammadi released

On 25 October 2025, actress and model Intisar Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi, 24 years, was released after serving approximately four years and eight months of a five-year prison sentence. She had been convicted on fabricated charges. During her imprisonment in Sana’a Central Prison, she was subjected to various forms of ill-treatment, including severe beatings, all of which was documented by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights.

For more information on her case, see here.

Arbitrary detention of journalist Adel Al-Nazili continues

Despite the announcement of his release on 18 December 2025, informed local sources confirmed that journalist and political analyst Adel Al-Nazili remains detained in a prison run by the National Resistance Forces.

The National Resistance Forces, established in 1918, is an armed group loyal to the internationally recognised government. It is led by Presidential Council member Brigadier General Tariq Saleh and is aligned with the United Arab Emirates.

Al-Nazili was abducted by these forces on 18 November 2025, from his home in Al-Mokha, southwestern Yemen, and has been detained ever since without due process or any formal charges. He has also been held incommunicado, with his family unable to visit him or check on his well-being.

Furthermore, press reports indicate that he has been subjected to continuous psychological pressure, including being informed of his imminent release, taken to the prison yard, and then returned to his cell. The same reports added that the delay in his release was due to “the National Resistance Forces stipulating that he leave the city of Mocha for Aden or abroad.”

Al-Nazili uses his Facebook page to express his various opinions on current affairs. It is widely believed that his accusations against the National Resistance Forces, which he posted on this page, describing them as a “family project” rather than a “national movement,” are the primary reason for his arrest. He also writes articles for the Mokha-based news website, News Yemen.

Arbitrary detention of journalist Naseh Shaker continues

In a joint appeal released on 17 December 2025, 35 civil society organisations, including GCHR and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), called on the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and the de facto authority, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), to immediately release journalist Naseh Shaker. The appeal stated, “Shaker is being held at the Al-Nasr Brigade’s prison – an STC-affiliated Security Belt Forces facility in Aden that serves as an unofficial detention center. He was later transferred to the notorious Beir Ahmed prison.”

The appeal further emphasised, “The continued detention of Naseh Shaker, the lack of transparency surrounding his detention, and the serious due-process concerns raised by his case violate Yemen’s obligations under international human rights law and undermine broader efforts to restore stability and public trust in state institutions.”

GCHR previously documented his disappearance on 19 November 2023, while passing through Aden International Airport to participate in a training course on journalist safety and first aid organised in Beirut by the Samir Kassir Foundation. However, he did not board the flight from Aden to Cairo en route to Beirut.

Unjust decision to ban dealings with Mwatana for Human Rights

On 04 December 2025, Mwatana for Human Rights in Yemen issued a statement regarding the ban imposed on it, stating that, “The memorandum issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour of the internationally recognised government on 27 November 2025, which prohibits engagement with Mwatana for Human Rights in areas controlled by several parties operating under the internationally recognised government and the Presidential Leadership Council, constitutes evidence revealing part of the violations and repressive measures perpetrated for years by the internationally recognised government and the Saudi/UAE-led coalition. These measures are acts of retaliation for Mwatana for Human Rights’ independent human rights work, in contravention of the Yemeni Constitution, the Law on Associations and Foundations, other national legislation in force, international conventions and covenants, and Yemen’s obligations and commitments before the international community.”

In solidarity with Mwatana for Human Rights, eight organisations, including GCHR, issued a joint appeal on 15 December 2025, stating that, “The Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MoSAL) has escalated its repression of civil society organisations that work across the country, further shrinking civic space.”

These organisations called on the internationally recognised government to “immediately rescind their decision and ensure that all civil society groups can operate freely and safely. International actors, including the United Nations and donor governments, should press all parties in Yemen to end their harassment of human rights defenders and guarantee protection for Yemen’s civil society.”

Lawsuit filed against journalist Abdulrahman Anis

On 05 November 2025, journalist Abdulrahman Anis announced on his X account that the Southern Transitional Council (STC) had filed a lawsuit against him and appointed a legal team of four lawyers to handle the case. He attached to his announcement a copy of the summons issued by the Press, Publications, and Electronic Publishing Prosecution Office, requiring him to appear before them on 09 November 2025, to respond to the complaint.

After appearing before the prosecution on 09 November 2025, accompanied by his legal team, it became clear that the complaint was based on approximately 50 posts he had published, containing charges of “public incitement, defamation, and slander against the Southern Transitional Council.” The STC’s legal team submitted a request to the prosecution to permanently ban him from practicing journalism and revoke his press license.

He refuted those publications and responded to them in detail, clarifying that they do not violate the law, and that there is no publishing crime in them.

Before the end of the session, the Transitional Council’s legal team requested an extension to obtain additional publications that they claimed corroborated the alleged accusations.

On 23 November 2025, he appeared before the prosecution again, giving his statement regarding the additional publications submitted to the prosecution, which were related to the charges against him, primarily public incitement.

Anis refuted these publications again during the same session. The Press and Publications Prosecution has not yet issued a decision regarding the lack of basis for the complaint or its referral to the competent court for consideration.

Brief arbitrary detention of jounalist Osama Al-Kurbash

On 26 October 2025, security forces in Al-Misrakh District, Taiz Governorate, arrested and arbitrarily detained journalist Osama Al-Kurbash for several hours. Press reports indicate that the security director of Al-Misrakh district ordered the arrest of a journalist after he and one of his bodyguards assaulted him.

The assault occurred after the journalist’s mobile phone was confiscated while he was covering a campaign to remove informal settlements and unlicensed shops, a campaign being carried out by the security director and several of his staff.

Taiz is under the control of the internationally recognised government.

Number of detained UN Staff reaches 69

In a statement issued by his spokesperson on 19 December 2025, “The Secretary-General strongly condemned the arbitrary detention on 18 December of a further 10 United Nations personnel by the Houthi de facto authorities, bringing the total number of UN detained personnel to 69.”

The Secretary-General also called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel from the UN, non-governmental and civil society organisations and diplomatic missions, and calls on the Houthis to rescind the referral of UN personnel for prosecution,” stressing the need “to respect of international law, including the privileges and immunities of the UN and its personnel, which are essential to enabling humanitarian action in a secure and principled environment.”

On 18 December 2025, the de facto Houthi authorities arrested ten additional UN staff members. GCHR has documented all such arrests of UN and local staff, including those working for civil society organisations, in its previous periodic reports.

Report on serious violations against journalists during travel

On 01 October 2025, the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory issued a report entitled, “Traps of Fear: Violations Against Yemeni Journalists During Their Movement and Travel” which revealed “an alarming escalation in violations against Yemeni journalists while traveling between governorates, due to arbitrary practices at military checkpoints belonging to the various parties to the conflict.”

The report emphasised that “security checkpoints have transformed from safeguarding people’s lives, protecting their rights, and respecting their dignity into a security threat and a daily tool of field repression targeting journalists, regardless of the reason for their travel.”

The report also included the results of a field survey in which 42 journalists from ten Yemeni governorates participated. The survey revealed that “76.2% of participants had their electronic devices searched, while 51.5% confirmed that they had been subjected to direct financial extortion.”

In addition, the report documented “multiple cases and stories of serious violations, including forced searches, confiscation of devices, threats of arrest, as well as verbal and physical abuse, and these violations were often linked to the disclosure of the journalist’s professional identity.”

Recommendations

Once again, GCHR urges the parties to the conflict in Yemen:

1. Immediately release all those who have been arbitrarily arrested, detained, or tried on fabricated charges;
2. Respect public freedoms, including freedom of the press and the right to peaceful assembly; and
3. Ensure that human rights defenders, including journalists, bloggers, academics, and internet activists, are able to carry out their legitimate work and express themselves freely without fear of reprisal and in a manner free from all restrictions, including judicial harassment.