Journalists demand licenses for new papers

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate criticised the Ministry of Information this week for banning citizens from establishing new newspapers, according to the law. “We express our full solidarity with the journalists who were deprived of their rights to obtain licenses to establish newspapers after they have met all conditions provided for by the press law,” said a statement issued by YJS.

“The continuation of unjustifiable intransigence and stubbornness of the Ministry of Information by not granting licenses offends the reputation of Yemen and its democratic and multi-party system internally and externally,” the statement added.   The ministry should clarify why it has banned the journalists from having licenses, although they applied for them about two years ago according to the law, which should be applied to all without any discrimination, the statement said.   

The leadership of the YJS met with Minister of Information Hassan al-Lawzi, who said, “We have started the process of granting licenses to those who meet the legal conditions.” The Ministry of Information had suspended granting the licenses of about 60 applicants for about two years, without offering any reasons for such suspension. As a result, the Women Journalists without Chains, a local NGO, organized a sit-in at the gate of the Ministry of Information on Sunday, to protest the ministry’s refusal to grant them a license to start a new newspaper.

The sit-in, which was the second to be organized by the same organization within a week, came after the Ministry of Information had asked the WJC to stop sending news to people through an SMS service. This request angered the WJC, which is still sending news in this fashion. The first sit-in had come out with directives from the Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar to Minister of Information Hassan al-Lawzi to give a license to the WJC to start a newspaper.  The Ministry of Information said that the chairwoman of the WJC, Tawakol Karman, had applied to establish a newspaper with the same name as her organization, WJC. 

It is not currently legal to grant an organization a license for a newspaper carrying the same name as the organization, especially if the president of the organization wants to be the editor-in-chief, officials at the ministry told the Yemen Observer. The Ministry of Information did not grant the license to WJC despite the directives of the Prime Minister. “The Ministry registered a bulletin for the WJC on May 5, with limited circulation, to cover the activities of the organization according to the law of associations and organizations.

But, the chairwoman of WJC, Tawakol Karman refused to take the notification letter of the bulletin saying she wants a license for a general newspaper with the same name as the organization,” said a reply letter from al-Lawzi to Mujawar.  “There is confusion with the applicant, who does not differentiate between an organization she chairs and a newspaper she owns and chairs. The applicant, as a citizen, can have a license for a civil newspaper with a different name, but now she cannot, because this name, WJC, is owned by an organization which has its artificial personality and an independent financial obligation,” said the letter.  The WJC chairwoman insisted on having a newspaper with the same name as her organization.    

“We confirm our adherence to the right of all organizations provided for by the constitution and laws, to own newspapers and register them whenever they like within eight days from the date of submitting the application,” she said to dozens of demonstrators, who included journalists, politicians, and lawyers.     “Two weeks ago, the Minister of Information seemed to be proud of having received about 60 applications for new newspapers, but his ministry did not give licenses except to three applicants, and because of our previous sit-in, they gave licenses to two more applicants and because of this sit-in and the ones to come, all media outlets will be allowed,” said Tawakol, who demanded to have a private radio broadcast.  

All television and radio in Yemen is owned by the state. Civilians are not yet allowed to own such media outlets. Human rights activist and lawyer Khaled al-Ansi demanded that the Ministry of Information be abolished.   “The Ministry of Information has become an obstacle to the freedom of press, and it has become a source of violations, it no longer exists except in the totalitarian systems, but it has no room in the free societies,” said al-Ansi, who is also the executive manager of the National Organization for Defending Rights and Liberties, a local NGO.

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