The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is deeply concerned about the decision by the Ministry of Information to cancel the license of the Yemeni weekly newspaper, Al Wasat.

According to information before IPI, Yemen’s national news agency, SABA, published a resolution that was issued on 5 April by the Minister of Information, Hasan Al Lawzi, in which he cancelled the license for Al Wasat to operate within Yemen. The resolution was issued in response to a series of publications that the Ministry considered harmful to “national unity” and to the “intimate relations Yemen has with its neighbouring and brotherly countries.” Furthermore, the resolution states that Al Wasat did not adhere to the provisions of the Press and Publications Law, citing such examples as that the newspaper did not have a state accredited lawyer, that it did not organise its accounting records in line with the Commercial Procedure Law, and that it did not have records of its yearly budget since its establishment in 2004.

At the heart of the controversy is a report published by Al Wasat, in which the paper was critical of Saudi Arabia. Jamal Amir, the editor-in-chief of Al Wasat said, “The accusations made are vague and unspecific. I don’t rule out the possibility that Saudi Arabia is behind this, especially given that my previous case is still being investigated by the prosecution because of another article critical of Saudi Arabia.” Amir went on to say that “according to Yemen’s constitution Minister Al Lawzi does not have the authority to cancel the newspaper’s license; the prosecution is the only body in Yemen which has the right to do so.”

Commenting on the case, IPI Director David Dadge said, “IPI calls on the Minister of Information to immediately and unequivocally reverse the ban on Al Wasat and urges the Minister of Information to refrain from using the Press and Publications Law as a pretext for silencing critical journalists in Yemen. IPI also supports the statements of concern issued by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in its condemnation of the ruling party’s repeated attacks against the press.”