Al Arabiya News Channel on Sunday strongly denounced the assault on cameraman Mujeeb Suwaileh and Al Ekhbariya correspondent Najeeb Al Sharabi in Yemen. Both colleagues "suffered grave physical harm, particularly Al Arabiya’s Suwaileh, who suffered fractured ribs causing serious internal bleeding," Al Arabiya said. Suwaileh was kept in hospital under strict medical observation.
Swaileh and Al Sharabi were arrested earlier by Yemeni security forces and remanded for few hours before the former was admitted into hospital. Both colleagues were covering a strike by employees at a textile factory demanding the settlement of back dues.
Al Arabiya News Channel said it views this assault as a blatant attack against press freedoms. “This mode of behavior is utterly unacceptable under any circumstance,” said a spokesman for Al Arabiya. Furthermore, Al Arabiya demanded that the relevant authorities in Yemen initiate a transparent investigation into "this outrage and provide names of the culprits who must be held accountable for their actions. This will send a clear message that press freedoms and right for free expression are to be respected."
