People of “Freedom of Speech” Killing Yemeni Journalists, Abed Hamza Now a Martyr
Yamanyoon
Written By: Malak Ali
What comes to your mind when you first hear the word “Yemen”? You would most likely recall its desperate humanitarian situation due to the Saudi imposed blockade. You would also think about famine, malnutrition, cholera, diphtheria and now cancer due to the lack of basic medications in medical centers as they endure one of the most cruel consequences of the ongoing air, sea and land siege.
However, the pain of the almost 30 million Yemeni people does not end here, the ruthless US-backed war crimes do not only target the Yemeni infrastructure, agriculture and innocent civilians, they also go after journalists, and this time its Abed Hamza, the editor-in-chief of Al-Haqeeqa (truth) newspaper as well as the websites sector, who lost his life on the battlefront of Hudayda.
Abed, like many other martyred Yemeni journalists, was on the front of Hudayda Coastal Governorate, western Yemen, documenting victories attained by Ansarullah aka Houthis as they face the greed of foreign powers with valor.
Moreover, it should be noted that the Hudayda front is quite substantial due to its strategic location.
The Yemeni army and Ansarullah have been successfully controlling Hudayda and that is driving the counties of the coalition crazy. The domination of such strait provides more strength and additional options for Yemen to fight back and defend itself. Going back to the main character of this article, Abid Hamza, let us get closer to his personal life.
He is originally from Saada Governorate and was married with children. He was one of the first to join the revolution of Ansarullah, specifically at the time where the Yemeni ex-president Saleh waged six wars against the Ansarullah uprising in Saada. Moreover, he is not the first martyr in the family as his brothers also sacrificed their lives for the safety, independence and dignity of Yemen. It has been said by his colleagues that he insisted on visiting the battlefields every now and then regardless of his media mission.
The warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition has been accused countless times of deliberately targeting journalists and their media facilities, for example, they not so long ago targeted a TV Station Building in the capital Sana’a. Speaking of another inhumane crime perpetrated by the Saudi-led coalition, the US-backed warplanes targeted the “Martyrs’ Cemetery” and demolished the grave resembling a Yemeni journalist dubbed Salah Al-Ezzi, in addition to a number of other sepulchers.
Truly, it is ironic to witness the people who brag about “freedom of speech” are the same people that are silencing the barely heard voice of Yemeni media.