(Das ist Anhang 1 zu Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 340 / This is supplement 1 to Yemen war Mosaic 340)
Der Blogger und Journalist Hisham Al-Omeisy wurde am 14. August von den Houthis verschleppt. Seitdem wird er isoliert und es gibt es von ihm keine neue Nachricht. Damit wurde eine der wichtigsten Stimmen des Jemen mundtot gemacht. Die neuerere Berichterstattung im Folgenden.
The blogger and journalist Hisham Al-Omeisy was abducted by the Houthis on August, 14. Since then, he is held "incommunicado", and there are no new news from him. Thus, one of the most important voices of Yemen was silenced. Newer reporting compiled in the following.
Twitter: Hashtag #FreeHisham: https://twitter.com/hashtag/freehisham
1.9.2017 – Deutschlandfunk Nova (* A P)
#FREEHISHAM: Bürgerkrieg im Jemen: Blogger verschleppt
Seit zwei Jahren herrscht Bürgerkrieg im Jemen. Der Blogger Hisham al-Omeisy berichtete immer wieder über die katastrophale Situation. Am 14. August verschwand er. Mitten am Tag wurde der 38-Jährige aus seinem Haus verschleppt.
Er nutzte die sozialen Medien, um über die Situation in seinem Land zu berichten - auf Arabisch und Englisch. Er kommentierte, analysierte und schilderte, was der Krieg für die Jemeniten bedeutet.
Der Blogger war seit 2011, nach dem Arabischen Frühling, zu einer wichtigen Persönlichkeit der jemenitischen Zivilgesellschaft geworden, sagt Kühntopp.
Amnesty International sowie Human Rights Watch fordern, dass Hisham al-Omeisy freigelassen wird. Die Menschenrechtsorganisationen gehen davon aus, dass bewaffnete Huthi-Milizionäre den Blogger verschleppt haben. Im Netz kursiert der Hashtag #FreeHisham.
Die Huthi-Rebellen sollen, so Carsten Kühntopp, in den Regionen, die sie kontrollieren, immer wieder gegen Journalisten und auch politische Aktivisten vorgehen. Dieser Vorwurf wird auch von Human Rights Watch erhoben (mit Audio)
https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/beitrag/freehisham-blogger-im-jemen-verschleppt
30.8.2017 – Luxemburger Wort (** A P)
"Stimme des Jemen" verschleppt: “Was hier passiert, geht gegen das jemenitische Volk“
Seinen letzten Tweet hatte Hisham al-Omeisy am Samstag den 12. August, kurz nach 9.00 Uhr morgens, abgesetzt: „Von korrupten Offiziellen unterstützte Schlägerbanden konfiszieren Immobilien in Sana. Sie stehen gerade vor meinem Haus“.
Zwei Tage später zerrten bewaffnete Huthi-Milizionäre den 38 Jahre alten Journalist, Blogger und Dokumentarfilmer mit verbundenen Augen aus seinem Haus.
Seine Familie und Freunde haben seither nichts mehr von ihm gehört. Eine von Tausenden seiner „Twitter“-Freunde gestartete Online-Kampagne unter dem Hashtag #FreeHisham blieb bislang ergebnislos.
Hishamal-Omeisy galt – bis zu seiner Verschleppung – als die „Stimme des Jemens“. Fast täglich berichtete der fliessend englisch sprechende Familienvater aus der Hauptstadt Sana über den Kriegsalltag.
In oft schonungslos drastischen „Tweets“ schilderte er seiner 25 000 „Follower“ umfassenden Fangemeinde die Nachwirkungen saudischer Bombenangriffe, das „Wimmern der zitternden Kinder, wenn unsere wunderschöne Stadt in ihren Grundfesten erschüttert wird“.
In seinen Kurzmitteilungen sowie zahlreichen Radio – und Zeitungsinterviews machte al-Omeisy die Konfliktparteien gleichermassen für die „totale humanitäre Katastrophe“ verantwortlich – von Michael Wrase
30.8.2017 – The Guardian (** A P)
Houthi rebels detain activist who brought Yemeni war to outside world
Hisham Aal-Omeisy, a prominent political analyst who has been critical of both sides in the civil war, is being held incommunicado
One of Yemen’s most prominent political analysts and activists is being held incommunicado, without access to a lawyer or his family, after he was detained in Sana’a by the Houthi rebels that control the city.
Hisham al-Omeisy has been a rare on-the-ground commentator during Yemen’s civil war, and has been critical of both sides in his outspoken Twitter posts.
He is understood to have been detained on 14 August in Sana’a’s Jawlat al-Misbah neighbourhood.
Amnesty International criticised what it described as Omeisy’s arbitrary detention. “Hisham al-Omeisy has been detained without charge or a court appearance in breach of Yemen’s constitution, which requires anybody arrested to be presented in court within 24 hours,” said Samah Hadid, Amnesty’s director of campaigns in the Middle East.
“This detention illustrates the lengths to which local Houthi-Saleh authorities are willing to go to silence peaceful activists. Hisham al-Omeisy is a prisoner of conscience, whose only ‘crime’ is peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, and he must be released immediately.”
Omeisy, 38, has provided crucial insights into the war in Yemen, where international journalists have been prevented from reporting on the ground.
Speaking to the Guardian last year, Omeisy described the situation in Yemen as “Syria on steroids”, warning that the country was on a fast lane to disintegrating as a state, with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State exploiting the power vacuum to expand their foothold in the growing number of ungoverned areas.
When asked who he blamed, he replied: “[I] will need more than 1,000 words to begin answering that question as one will have to deconstruct multiple incidents over a period of the past few years and correctly assign blame to parties … [a] domino effect of a series of missteps and unfortunate events led us to where we are today.
“But I will say this, though Houthis are guilty of hijacking and mismanaging the state, it is the Saudi-led coalition that held the whole nation hostage to the current conflict.” - by Saeed Kamali Dehghan
30.8.2017 – The Independent (* A P)
Yemeni social media star and Independent contributor 'seized by 15 armed guards' and detained without lawyer
'Yemen needs its activists more than ever, like Hisham, to highlight the impact of the is war on civilians,' Human Rights Watch tells The Independent
Mr al-Omeisy rose to fame during the Arab Spring and has used Twitter to criticise and document events, such as airstrikes, to his 25,000 twitter followers in real time.
The political analyst is one of the most prominent Yemeni activists and tweets in both English and Arabic, often multiple times a day.
The father-of-two has been praised by human rights charities for his compelling honesty about both how the war his affected both his family and the country as a whole which has raised the profile of the conflict in Yemen.
The organisation's [HRW] Yemen researcher told The Independent: “The conflict in Yemen already gets very little coverage, despite the gravity of the rights violations ongoing and the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
“Yemen needs its activists more than ever, like Hisham, to highlight the impact of the is war on civilians, yet all sides are increasingly harassing, threatening, detaining and disappearing them.”
Samah Hadid, Amnesty’s head of Middle East campaigns, added: "Hisham Al-Omeisy is a prisoner of conscience, whose only 'crime' is peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, and he must be released immediately – by Molly Fleming
29.8.2017 – Al Araby (** A P)
#FreeHisham: Calls to free 'silenced' Yemeni political commentator increase
Calls to free a popular Yemeni political commentator who was 'silenced' after being abducted by armed rebels more than 17 days ago continue.
Since then, the political commentator has had no access to lawyers or his family, and little is known on his fate and well-being.
But social media users including prominent journalists and activists have taken to Twitter - where Omeisy built a strong repertoire - to rally for his release around a hashtag dubbed #FreeHisham.
Samah Hadid, director of Amnesty International's advocacy campaigns in the Middle East, said that Omeisy's arrest was in violation of Yemen's laws.
"Hisham al-Omeisy has been detained without charge or a court appearance in breach of Yemen's constitution, which requires anybody arrested to be presented in court within 24-hours."
"Yemen more than ever needs activists like Hisham al-Omeisy to bring attention to the devastation that war, famine and disease have wrought on the country and its people," HRW's Middle East Director Sarah Leah Whitson said.
"Houthi authorities should immediately release al-Omeisy and return him safely to his family."
HRW said it has documented 66 cases of arbitrary arrest by the rebels, who control Sanaa and other parts of northern Yemen. Two of the captives died in detention and 11 were tortured or ill-treated, it said.
29.8.2017 – The Canary (** A P)
People are calling on Theresa May to intervene over the abduction of a leading journalist
There are growing calls for Theresa May to intervene over the arbitrary detention of a leading journalist. But the politics surrounding the case will probably leave little room for the PM to act. Because on her watch, the UK has fuelled the conflict which has led to the journalist’s disappearance.
His social media accounts have since been silent. But his abduction is odd. Because while his commentary on Yemen is balanced, he is more critical of the Saudi-led coalition than the Houthi-led rebels. As he wrotefor Scisco Media in 2016 about the lack of independent reporting on Yemen:
„The Saudi-led coalition not only don’t like the slightest hint of negative reporting of its role in the conflict, but view it as a grave trespass on their own ‘private’ affairs. They will take personal offence and pursue to discredit, slander, and punish any who may have crossed a line by publicly criticising their actions in Yemen.“
Social media has reacted angrily to al-Omeisy’s abduction. This has culminated in a Twitter storm using the hashtag #FreeHisham being held at 7pm BST on Tuesday 29 August, to raise awareness of the journalist’s detention. Author and campaigner Ray Woolford told The Canary:
„The kidnapping of Hisham is an affront to democracy. Since the Saudi proxy war in Yemen began, he has challenged both sides in the conflict. He has also used his knowledge of English to engage people in the West who are not into the politics of war or even be able to understand the issues. He has inspired people globally to get of the sofa and demand peace. Theresa May has a global leadership role that should include calling for the release of Hisham in line with international law“ – by Steve Topple
18.8.2017 – WUWM (** A P)
Beloved Yemeni activist abducted by government security
You've seen and heard Hisham al-Omeisy. The friendly Yemeni observer who has told news services around the world about conditions in his war-ravaged countrywas abducted by three carloads of armed men in Sanaa on Monday afternoon. He is being held at the government's National Security Bureau in the Yemeni capital.
Omeisy may be the most famous Yemeni in the Western world, thanks to his active Twitter account (he has nearly 24,000 followers) and his frequent appearances on TV and radio around the globe.
Independent journalist Iona Craig said that she and other reporters had remained silent about the situation all week, at the family's request. But Craig, who lived in Sanaa and is a close friend of Omeisy, is relieved to be able to talk openly about his abduction now. "The National Security Bureau where Hisham is being held — I don't think anybody has ever come out of there and said they've had a pleasant experience. And that's the really troubling thing about thinking about him now being in prison."
The National Security Bureau has a long history of abuses, first under the decadeslong rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, then by his successor Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and now by the Yemeni government run by the northern rebel group known as the Houthis.
The NSB has a reputation for beating and torturing detainees. Accounts by former detainees paint a gruesome picture of treatment inside its walls. "It's also worth remembering," adds Craig, "that the US over the years has trained many of the officers in that intelligence agency."
"Arbitrary detention is something that happens regularly in Houthi-controlled Yemen, to dissidents and to people who speak out against those forces," says Sophie McNeill, Middle East correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Company. McNeill learned of Omeisy's detention on Monday, but followed the wishes of Omeisy's family and sat on the story. "It's now been four days, and there's no sign that Hisham is going to be released anytime soon."
“Yemen more than ever needs activists like Hisham al-Omeisy to bring attention to the devastation that war, famine and disease have wrought on the country and its people,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Houthi authorities should immediately release al-Omeisy and return him safely to his family.”
Omeisy's success as an activist is largely due to his warmth and familiarity.
"There's been no explanation of why he's been taken," McNeill adds, "so I just keep thinking of these little boys that I met in Sanaa and just feeling horrible thinking of how they're feeling right now, and you know they just want their dad back."
"Hisham has been a really crucial voice to Yemenis on all sides of the conflict," says Iona Craig. "And his voice ... has been absolutely vital to raising people's awareness and understanding what is happening in Yemen. And he's not guilty of any crime other than speaking out for Yemenis, really," she says.
Osamah al-Rawhani, a fellow Yemeni and a close friend of Omeisy, notes that while the imprisoned activist has been effective at drawing attention to humanitarian conditions in Yemen, he has laid most of the blame not on the Houthis, but on the forces led by Saudi Arabia that are trying to unseat the rebels.
"It's true that he's taking a stance mainly against the Saudi-led coalition,” says Rawhani. “It's because he is there under the airstrikes ... and he sees the victims every day." So, it is with some irony that the Saudis' greatest enemies, the Houthis, have been the ones to silence Omeisy – by Stephen Snyder
http://wuwm.com/post/beloved-yemeni-activist-abducted-government-security
And there are many other ill-treated Houthi detainees, among them many journalists, as Abdel Rahim Mohsen, who is suffering from diabetes:
30.8.2017 – International Federation of Journalists (** A P)
Yemen: journalist in desperate need of medical care following abduction
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined its affiliate, the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), in condemning the abduction of a local journalist and in urging his captors to immediately release him so he can getvital medical care.
Reports said that local freelance journalist Abdel Rahim Mohsen, who suffers from severe diabetes, was kidnapped by armed men dressed in civilian clothing on the morning of Tuesday 22 August while on his way to the hospital in Al-Raheda near Taiz for treatment for his deteriorating condition.
His family told the YJS that they received news the journalist had fallen into a coma as a result of his diabetes.
Mohsen was stopped at a checkpoint before being taken to an unknown location whilst men searched his home in the al-Silo district of Southern Taiz, reports added. YJS General Secretary Mohammed Shubaita told the IFJ that the union had been informed by a relative of the journalist that he had since been moved to Errahida Directorate, in the area of El Salah in west Taiz.
“We call on the captors of our Yemeni colleague Abdel Rahim Mohsen to immediately release him as a matter of humanitarian assistance,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger. “We stand with our affiliate the YJS in condemning this terrible crime and urge the warring parties not to usejournalists and other civilians as pawns during the conflict in Yemen.”
http://www.ifj.org/nc/news-single-view/backpid/50/article/yemen-journalist-in-desperate-need-of-medical-care-following-abduction/ = https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/abdel-rahim-mohsen-needs-urgent-release-and-medical-care-in/
Frühere Berichterstattung über Hisham Al-Omeisy
Earlier reporting about Hisham Al-Omeisy:
29.8.2017 – Der Freitag (* A P)
Free Hisham – The last: Yemen War Mosaic 340
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/free-hisham-the-last-yemen-war-mosaic-340
28.8.2017 – BBC (** A P)
The silencing of a Yemeni social media star
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41053044
25.8.2017 – The London Economic (** A P)
Free Hisham Al-Omeisy, the Voice of Yemen
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/tle-pick/free-hisham-al-omeisy-voice-yemen/25/08/
18.8.2017 – CBC Radio (** A P)
Outspoken Yemeni activist Hisham Al-Omeisy abducted and detained by Houthi forces
18.8.2017 – Human Rights Watch (** A P)
Yemen: Houthis Detain Prominent Activist
Free Hisham Al-Omeisy and Others Held Arbitrarily
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/08/18/yemen-houthis-detain-prominent-activist
18.8.2017 – Human Rights Watch (** A P)
Yemen: Activist detained by Huthi-Saleh forces in escalating crackdown on critics must be freed
18.8.2017 – ABC News (* A P)
Amnesty calls on Houthi rebels to immediately release Yemeni activist Hisham Al-Omeisy
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-18/amnesty-calls-on-houthi-rebels-release-yemen-anti-war-activist/8822148 = http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-08-18/amnesty-calls-on-houthi-rebels-to-immediately-release-yemeni-activist-hisham-alomeisy/1694900
18.8.2017 – Aljazeera (* A P)
Yemen's Houthi rebels arrest activist Hisham al-Omeisy
18.8.2017 – Middle East Eye (* A P)
Prominent Yemeni activist detained by Houthis in Sanaa
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/prominent-yemeni-activist-detained-houthis-sanaa-160137327
18.8.2017 – Washington Post (* A P)
Outspoken documenter of Yemen conflict detained by Houthis
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/outspoken-documenter-of-yemen-conflict-detained-by-houthis/2017/08/18/76bb0d28-8412-11e7-9e7a-20fa8d7a0db6_story.html = http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/national_world/outspoken-documenter-of-yemen-conflict-detained-by-houthis/article_2ab8c9bb-f657-5d13-a9f0-665ee35265ca.html
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