Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has denounced the brutal execution of journalist Mohammed Qaed Al-Muqri, who worked for Yemen Today TV, as well as 10 other kidnapped people by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

This shocking act comes after nine years of abduction and enforced disappearance, during which the victims’ families tirelessly sought answers about their fate.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula issued a statement on December 27, 2024, announcing the execution of 11 individuals, including Al-Muqri. He was abducted from his home in Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, in October 2015 while the group controlled the area. For nearly a decade, his whereabouts remained unknown until this grim announcement.

The names of those executed, as revealed by the group, are as follows: 

1. Naji Al-Zuhairi
2. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Azani
3. Mohammed Ahmed Bashab
4. Abdulrahman Hussein Hadees
5. Al-Rasas Alawi Hussein Ahmed Al-Rasas
6. Abdulaziz Mohammed Saleh Al-Hadi
7. Hussein Mohammed Ali Al-Saadi
8. Abdullah Ali Al-Azani
9. Youssef Saleh Ahmed Al-Humaikani
10. Hussein Ali Mohammed Hussein Al-Sawadi
11. Journalist Mohammed Qaed Al-Muqri

Women Journalists Without Chains condemned this heinous crime, labeling it a blatant attack on humanity and a threat to peace and security at all levels. The organization stressed that such actions stand in stark contradiction to Islamic values, international laws, and universally accepted human rights principles.

WJWC also criticized local authorities in Hadramout for their prolonged failure to act, pointing to years of neglect despite repeated pleas from victims’ families and civil society organizations for intervention. The lack of accountability, they noted, created an environment where such crimes could occur unchecked.

In response to this atrocity, the organization urged the Yemeni government to take immediate and decisive measures to pursue those responsible for these executions and ensure justice is served. The group called for enhanced protections for citizens to prevent such violations in the future.

WJWC also appealed to international and humanitarian agencies to condemn this crime unequivocally, stand in support of the victims’ families, and provide them with the assistance they need during this difficult time.

Released by:

Women Journalists Without Chains

December 29, 2024