Yemen.. Journalists Syndicate condemns suspension of its activities in Aden and renews its demand to return its headquarters

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemned, on Saturday, the repressive measures of the Yemeni government, represented by the suspension of its activities in Aden, renewing its demand to return its headquarters usurped in the interim capital by the Transitional Council participating in the government.

The union said in a statement, "The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate is following with concern the restrictive measures against the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Aden and against union work in general, the latest of which was the issuance of a memorandum from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to suspend the activities of professional unions, most notably the Journalists Syndicate, and what accompanied these trends of incitement against union leaders in Aden and threatening their lives and exposing them to danger."

The union condemned "these arbitrary and illegal measures, which come in the context of a systematic targeting that has been ongoing for some time, starting with the control of the union's headquarters in the first months of the war by the disorganized forces in Aden at the time, through the storming of the union's headquarters in Aden last year and controlling it under the protection of some security forces (the Transitional Council) and preventing the holding of events, reaching this unconstitutional trend of stopping the union's activity and threatening the head of the union's branch in Aden, colleague Mahmoud Thabet, and inciting against him."

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate warned against the administrative measures announced against it and other professional syndicates, stressing that these trends are not based on a constitutional, legal or democratic basis, and do not aim in any way at what it claims are corrective measures, as it is certain that the ministry and the concerned authorities have not prepared the necessary conditions for the work of the general syndicates from Aden, which has been declared the temporary capital of the country.

She added, "In many cases, unions were not allowed to operate from their headquarters in Aden, and some government offices under the control of influential parties on the ground were a tool for controlling, by force, the headquarters of official unions, including the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, the Yemeni Women's Union, and the General Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic, which was replaced with its sub-unions by a union affiliated with a political party," referring to the Transitional Council.

The union, as a professional union component concerned with defending journalists and protecting the right to freedom of opinion and expression, was surprised by this hostility from a ministry in the legitimate government and sees it as similar to what the Houthi group did to the union in Sana’a by stopping its activity and restricting its work, as if the parties to the conflict agreed on the war on the union and union work, which is a war that certainly targets journalists and freedom of the press in Yemen and undermines what remains of the stifling margins of civil and union work in general.

The Syndicate noted that in light of the circumstances and conditions of the war that has been going on in Yemen since the beginning of 2015, journalists have been subjected to various types of violations, such as threats of imprisonment or murder, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, murder, and extrajudicial execution.

She continued, "Not far from this is the heinous assassination attempt that targeted in Sana'a our colleague Mohammed Shabitah, Secretary General of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate and Assistant Secretary General of the Arab Journalists Union, in addition to those who have been forcibly disappeared and those who are being tried before courts specializing in terrorism cases or before committees of entities that do not adhere to the rules of a fair trial, which makes them closer to execution committees than to courts. In many cases, the harm that befell journalists extended to their families, colleagues, and friends."

The union confirmed in its statement that it will continue to defend journalists in all of Yemen, regardless of their orientations and affiliations, based on the responsibility granted by the General Assembly and the internal regulations, renewing its continuation of its work and efforts to protect the unity of the union and union work until the dire circumstances witnessed by the country end and the country’s conditions are prepared to hold a general conference in which the participation of the members of the General Assembly is guaranteed smoothly, safely and in a democratic atmosphere, without fear or threat, and without the interference of the forces that share control and influence throughout the country.

The statement said, "As the Journalists Syndicate faces these challenges, it affirms its position rejecting any attack on a famous syndicate that is at the forefront of defending freedoms and relies on a long history of unionism and struggle for decades and is armed with union principles and values guaranteed by the constitution and laws, holding the legitimate government responsible for this repressive and hostile approach to union work and to journalists and unionists in Yemen."

The statement stressed that such irresponsible actions represent a major violation and infringement of the general constitutional principles that establish and protect basic rights and freedoms, which have become recognized rights in all civilized nations and are an essential part of the constitutional and legal system of the state and cannot be confiscated, suspended or prohibited.

The union also confirmed that it will exercise its legal right to defend its union entity and the freedom of all civil unions in Yemen, renewing its demand for the security authorities in Aden and the legitimate government to return the usurped union headquarters in Aden and stop this dark trend that does not conform to the aspirations of the Yemenis and their struggles since the revolution until today.

The union called on the authorities in Aden to provide the responsibility of ensuring the protection of colleague Mahmoud Thabet, the head of the union in Aden, and all union leaders there.

The union said that the hostile positions towards the union from all parties to the conflict confirm that it is on the right path in defending press freedoms with professionalism and responsibility, despite the challenges and risks surrounding union work, considering that the union’s refusal to submit to the various pressures from the parties to the conflict confirms its insistence on resisting the totalitarian situation imposed by the war in all its forms and manifestations.

The statement stressed that the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, by its nature and composition, and in accordance with the provisions of the Press and Publications Law, is a professional syndicate concerned with protecting and organizing the affairs of the profession, and is considered one of the basic mechanisms for protection, recognition and professional authorization, which places it, like all professional syndicates, in a legal position that cannot be stopped or disrupted by administrative methods and tools. Any attempt in this regard has only one meaning, which is the tendency to restrict the profession itself, which makes the Social Affairs Memorandum a major administrative and legal failure, and a serious threat to freedom of opinion and expression.

He added, "The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate has existed, since its establishment in 1976, in a legal and regulatory position that is consistent with the laws of the Republic of Yemen, which are the prevailing laws that have not been amended and are still in force and in effect in the city of Aden, declared the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen."

He continued, "According to this organization, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate is a professional framework representing Yemeni journalists. It has legal and union legitimacy, recognized internally and internationally. Its legal and professional status is not affected by political circumstances and changes. It is not a government department affiliated with the Yemeni government or any other government body, so that the government or any administrative body affiliated with it can decide to take such measures against it."

The union concluded its statement by saying, “Moving the capital for political reasons that the country is going through, and moving the headquarters of ministries and central authorities, does not in any way entail any change in the legal positions of citizens, professional or political organizations, financial and business organizations, or others. This is because these positions are derived from the law, not from the administrative apparatus.”