The National Organization of Yemeni Media (SADA) has blamed the Houthi for the safety of  kidnapped journalists, calling for their immediate release. The organizations statement came Wednesday after the news of the death of a Houthi abductee surfaced. Khaled Mohammed Al-Heeth died in following his extended detention in a Houthi prison, during which he was denied medical attention. The organization added that for weeks it has been observing f a frightening deterioration in the state of journalists abducted and currently detained by the Houthis, especially those who’ve been detained since as far back as mid-2015.

SADA blames the Al-Houthis for the ill-health of and the unsafe conditions in which the journalist are being detained, claiming these are life-threatening situations and demanding their immediate release. .

The organization expressed its serious concern that the detained journalists would suffer the same fate as Al-Heeth, given the widespread use of arbitrary arrest and detention and inhumane treatment detainees in Houthi prisons are subjected to. 

The organization called on the UN envoy to Yemen and the United Nations to assume their responsibility in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.

The organization also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit the kidnapped journalists urgently and  learn more about the prison environment and their health. 

The organization appealed to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Union of Arab Journalists and other international organizations to save the lives of journalists kidnapped by the Houthis and to pressure the group to release them unconditionally.