Joint Solidarity Statement
The undersigned organizations hereby express their solidarity with journalist Ahmed Maher, who is incarcerated at
Bir Ahmed Prison under the custody of the Southern Transitional Council (STC). According to a credible and well-
informed source, Maher initiated an open hunger strike the week before last demanding a prompt trial.
Since his arrest in August 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court in Aden has repeatedly postponed hearings in the Ahmed Maher case. Most recently, Maher was not included among a group of prisoners brought from Bir Ahmed prison to court, following a partial lifting of the judicial strike in Aden. These ongoing delays contravene directives from the Judicial Inspection Authority and the Supreme Judicial Council instructing the Specialized Criminal Court to conduct successive sessions in Maher's case, as per information provided by a credible and well-informed source.
Furthermore, a STC-affiliated security force arrested Maher's lawyer earlier this
month, and as of this statement’s publication, the lawyer remains in custody. A new report by the Panel of Experts on Yemen mentioned the case of Ahmed Maher as emblematic of the arrests, enforced disappearances, threats and coerced confessions faced by journalists critical of the STC.
The undersigned organizations urgently appeal to the Specialized Criminal Court and the administration of Bir Ahmed prison to cease the prolonged delays and apparent indifference in addressing the case of Ahmed Maher, given its significant impact on public opinion. Furthermore, these organizations implore the Presidential Leadership Council, the authorities in Aden, President of the Supreme Court Ali Al-Awash, and the Supreme Judicial Council to promptly intervene and rectify the blatant legal transgressions in the Ahmed Maher case, whether by expediting court sessions, transferring the case to the Press Court or another appropriate penal court, or releasing journalist Maher. His year-long imprisonment due to his political stances and journalistic activity demands urgent attention.
December 03 2023
To read the statement and the list of signatory organizations:
