Loud debate about "protection" ... The assassination of "Al-Quaiti" reminds of the danger of slow uprooting of the Yemeni press
English - Monday 26 October 2020 الساعة 03:14 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, Monitoring Team:
On Friday, the Independent Southern Group for the Defense of Human Rights held a seminar on the application of "Zoom" on freedom of the press and its protection in Yemen, with the participation of many prominent journalists in the field of press and media, and the extent of violations against journalists.
The participants unanimously agreed that this issue was not a spur of the moment in the Yemeni scene, but rather has roots since before 2015 and before that in the summer war of 1994 between the south and the north.
The story of the young journalist and photographer Nabil Al-Quaiti, who was assassinated on June 2 of this year in the capital, Aden, by gunmen was present in the debate as an unfortunate example of the reality of journalism and journalists in Yemen.
The owners of the papers presented, including Osama Adnan, who successfully managed the seminar, also addressed the course of the interviewees separately.
Freedom of the press ...
Osama reviewed the most important aspects about the issue of the press, freedom of journalists, and the violations they face, considering that it is an issue and a global affair.
Stressing that the free press is a reflection of society's level of awareness and acceptance of opinion and other opinion, and its awareness of its rights and the role that this profession plays in order to shed light on all the important issues.
He also explained that the relationship between freedom of the press and human rights is positive, given that wherever there is a free press, there is a free society as well.
Noting that the spotlight will be on the assassination of the prominent journalist Nabil Al-Quaiti, in addition to talking about his career and his practical relationship with international news agencies.
Events and witnesses
The first paper was for Dr. Tawfiq Jezoulet, professor of human rights and international humanitarian law at Mohammed V University in Rabat, and a former correspondent for MBC ... and one of those who covered the civil war in Somalia and the summer war of 1994 between north and south, and he is a researcher in international relations.
Jezoulet touched on his experience in covering these events based on his close experience of them, his relationship with some southern figures and his follow-up of events since they began, and how many journalists and media professionals were exposed to violations at that time.
He also listed some facts and evidences that took place before and after his departure from the south by sea with a group of Iraqis and Arabs, after he heard about the issuance of an apostasy fatwa by a religious leader affiliated with the Islah movement in Sana'a
He also touched on the issue of the absence of the south and the southern issue in international forums and history books, considering that the center of Sanaa is always present, blaming the southern media for this deficiency.
The martyr has a remarkable presence
As for the journalist, Saleh Al-Battati, his paper was about press violations, reminding that Yemen currently ranks 167th out of 180 in the World Ranking of Reporters Without Borders.
He also mentioned the beginning of his acquaintance with the late martyr Nabil Al-Quaiti, which, according to him, began at the beginning of 2018 by attending a seminar.
Commenting on that meeting that brought them together for the first time and how Nabil appeared to be honest, calm and cheerful, draws attention around him and establishes relations with everyone with humility.
He listed the most important channels, news agencies, and international websites that touched upon his assassination, from America, Russia, France and Germany, as well as the Arab media and even the Israeli press and media.
After that, he reviewed the reality of the press violations and the risks that the journalist faces, and how the rights of journalists can be protected, in addition to his work alongside the martyr and the reports and works that were carried out in cooperation with him.
Dimensions of the assassination of Al-Qaiti
As for the paper of the journalist Hussein Al-Hanashi - Head of the "Aden Center for Strategic Research and Statistics", in which the martyr Nabil Al-Quaiti "worked as the head of the Visual Documentation Department" - who is one of the martyr's friends and colleagues, it came to place the honorable observer in front of the most important events, the reasons, and the dimensions to be achieved from the assassination of Nabil Al-Quaiti, the paper also clarified the possibilities through which the deceased gained the confidence of international media agencies.
He is also the publisher and editor of the "Al-Marsad" newspaper, in which the martyr Nabil worked as the head of the correspondents department and his constant companion for a decade.
Together, they studied media work in Egypt and Jordan by taking intensive courses on modern and television media.
Al-Hanashi was a witness to the many troubles and violations that many journalists were subjected to, and he and several of his colleagues were personally threatened with physical liquidation through various messages.
He explained that he had a relationship with the late Nabil Al-Quaiti in travel and work until the last moments before his death.
Al-Islah was accused of assassination
At the beginning of the seminar, Hussein emphasized an important point, which is that Nabil Al-Quaiti was not only a photojournalist and reporter, but he was also the owner of ideas and issues.
Adding that his assassination was not caused by an individual or ideological dispute or a corruption case that was exposed, not even in the midst of a war battle like the fate of some journalists around the world. Rather, the aim was to kill the cause that was carried by, like the Palestinian artist Naji Al-Ali, who was assassinated in London decades ago, according to his presentation.
Mohsen al-Hanashi accused the Islah party and some of its leadership of being behind this assassination, citing the constant incitement by the media and other means belonging to the same faction.
Mohsen also suggested that by accompanying Nabil, he was sure that the man had no enemies or problems with anyone but this group.
It was revealed that a group of suspects in the assassination of journalist Nabil Al-Quaiti had been arrested, and they were being investigated.
A movie about the martyr
At the end of the symposium, the participants, along with the director of the seminar, Osama Adnan, reviewed a video, translated into English for about half an hour, about the martyr Al-Quaiti.
In it, they highlighted the most important live scenes captured by Al-Quaiti, and a group of photos and press coverage that he was performing.
