War against press freedom: Yemeni journalist's child targeted

War against press freedom: Yemeni journalist's child targeted
The son of a Yemeni journalist was kidnapped and beaten by Houthi rebels, in an incident described as a 'heinous crime,' after his father published work criticising the group.
1 min read
30 December, 2015
The teenager was beaten and burnt by Houthi rebels [The New Arab]
After being shot in the foot, beaten and burned with cigarettes, Tariq Saad’s son was dumped in a back-street in Yemen's capital Sanaa.

The teenager had been kidnapped by a militia group allied to the Houthi rebels and was targeted after his journalist father published work criticising the group's human rights abuses.

Sources close to the family told The New Arab that the teenager had been abducted in front of his home in the al-Andalus neighbourhood, north-west of the city, before being thrown on the street.

The Press Syndicate of Yemen issued a statement holding Houthi rebels responsible for the beating, which they described as a "heinous crime".

The union also reiterated their calls for human rights organisations to increase pressure on the group and to raise awareness surrounding repression of the press in the country.

In its latest report, Reporters Without Borders said that 33 journalists were currently detained by the group.

The Centre for Economic and Media Studies documented at least 34 violations against journalists in Yemen in the last month, including murder, kidnap, assault and numerous threats.