NSMA Condemns Summoning of Journalist Khaled Al-Kathiri

The National Southern Media Authority (NSMA) on Sunday issued a statement of concern and condemnation regarding the summoning of the southern journalist Mr. Khaled Mohsen Al-Kathiri, a member of the Supervisory Committee of the Seiyun Consultative Meeting of Journalists and Media Members from the Valley and Desert of Hadramout on track to the first Conference of Southern Journalists and Media Members (CSJMM), who was summoned by the Prosecution in Seiyun to appear before Seiyun Court on press publishing and coverage cases, as per a formal notice to attend and respond to the complaint filed against him by a government official.

In its statement, NSMA indicated that it had followed up on the summons submitted to journalist Al-Kathiri, stressing the importance of taking into account the distinguished position of colleague Al-Kathiri, his patriotic stances witnessed over the course of the southern revolution, and his professionalism that enabled him to work as a local coordinator for different Arab and international media.

In line with this stance, NSMA expresses its condemnation and denunciation of summoning the journalist Al-Kathiri by the prosecution in Seiyun and prosecuting him in the press publishing case, based on NSMA's permanent and firm position in supporting the rights and freedom of the press, and warns against any attempt to destabilize the cohesiveness of the Hadrami community by such provocative actions of the authorities that oppress the Valley of Hadramout, which are trying to hijack the will of its people by targeting Hadrami national cadres and personalities; similarly, it warns against any attempts to deal unjustly, arbitrarily, or maliciously with the people of Hadramout in general and journalists in particular, in violation of international conventions that protect freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the rights of journalists.