A Houthi court on Monday held its first hearing in the trial of 10 journalists who have been detained in its prisons. Abdul Majid Sabra, the lawyer representing the 10 journalists said the hearing was unexpected. "We were surprised today by the start of the first trial, despite our daily follow-up on the case,” he said. “If the journalists had not insisted on my presence, the hearing would have been held without a lawyer present.”

The judge had “preconceived notions about the journalists” and repeated the prosecution's argument that they are “enemies of the people," according to Sabra

The trial comes two days after the Houthis announced an agreement to release the 10 journalists in exchange for the release of the same number of their prisoners, among whom are Houthi media professionals employed at the Houthi television channel Al-Masirah. 

Sabra called on local and international journalists' unions and all those interested to stand with their fellow journalists.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate were surprised by the start of the trial before the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), after a long series of violations against the journalists, starting with their kidnapping and forced disappearance, followed by torture and the denial of their right to visitors and medical treatment.

The names of the detained journalists are: Abdul Khaliq Omran, Akram al-Walidi, Al-Harith Saleh Hamid, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Hisham Tarmum, Haitham al-Shihab, Hisham al-Yousfi, Issam Belghaith, Hassan Anaab and Salah al-Qaedi.