Yemen
More violence against journalists in YemenPosted Mar 16 2011
Journalists continue to face attacks and obstruction as they cover the political protests in Yemen.
Samia Al-Agbhry was beaten unconscious by plainclothes policemen while she was covering clashes between pro- and anti-government protests on March 14, according to Reporters Without Borders.
The organization also reported that men with sticks and knives jumped Marebpress correspondent Majid Shuaibi as he was covering a student demonstration on March 14.
Four foreign journalists were detained by police in their shared apartment the morning of March 14. British reporter Oliver Holmes writes for the Wall Street Journal and Time and Portia Walker, also British, writes for The Washington Post. The Americans detained were Haley Sweetland Edwards for the Los Angeles Times and AOL News, and Joshua Maricich, a writer for various media including the Yemen Times, according to Reporters Without Borders. Maricich and Walker were deported to Ethiopia, but nothing has been reported about Homes and Edwards.
Holmes told Al Jazeera that a security agent told them they were being kicked out of the country because of their coverage of the protests.
The Committee to Protect journalists reported an attack on the Ouzo Hotel in the rebel-held city of Benghazi in eastern Libya on March 8. “Unknown assailants threw an explosive device into the hotel, which has been the primary residence for journalists in the city.” Witnesses said the attackers might have been members of Libya’s Revolutionary Guards, according to CPJ.
Two other journalists, American Partrick Symmes and Italian Marco Di Lauro were also deported on March 12.
Khalid Al-Mahdi was ambushed walking on a street in Sanaa on March 13 and his camera was smashed, while Associated Press photographer Hani al-Ansi had his camera confiscated, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Reporter Khalil Al-Berh was also held by security forces for 30 minutes on March 13. The memory card from his camera was wiped before it was returned, according to Reporters Without Borders.