International press body appeals for increased media protection in Yemen

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Tuesday issued a desperate appeal for authorities in Yemen to take immediate and effective action to improve safety for media workers in the country following the latest spate of attacks. According to an IFJ statement, an Al Arabiya TV crew was assaulted by security forces in the Yemeni capital Sana'a last Sunday, while covering the arrival of vehicles carrying detainees at the city's Special Criminal Court. The assault against the Al Arabiya crew follows another attack against Issam Sufiani, correspondent for the Saudi Arabia newspaper, Al Sharq, last Wednesday. "We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Yemen to reiterate our demand that the country's government takes immediate action to increase protection for the safety and freedom of the country's journalists and media personnel," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "They must act now before more journalists lose their lives," he added. The Brussels-based IFJ represents more than 600, 000 journalists in 134 countries.