Mohammed Qasim Al-Taheri

Time of violation: September 2, 2018

Place of violation: Taiz

Type of violation: killing

Perpetrator of the violation: Armed factions affiliated with the internationally recognized Government

Citizen journalist Mohammed Qasim Al-Taheri, standing next to his car, was preparing to pick up a sick woman and her husband from the hospital downtown Taiz, but a sniper’s bullet pierced his neck and killed him instantly.

Al-Taheri was working as part of a humanitarian initiative to provide humanitarian aid in the neighborhoods surrounding his residence. He also worked as a photographer documenting armed confrontations between the army forces of the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthi group “Ansar Allah”.

On the night of Monday, September 2, 2018, Al-Taheri was standing in front of Al-Mudhaffar Hospital in the center of Taiz city, next to his car, preparing to transport a sick woman with her husband to their home in the neighborhood next to the hospital. At  that night, the area was witnessing armed clashes between internationally recognized government factions named the Security Committee supported by forces affiliated with the Taiz military axis, on one hand, and the Abu Al -Abbas Brigades on the other hand, to hand over wanted persons, but a sniper bullet killed Al -Taheri.

At the Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism, we documented four testimonies about Taheri’s death, which indicate that the sniper’s shot came from high areas towards Cairo Castle and Al-Dairy Street .

The forensic report, we obtained, confirms that the entrance to the projectile was from the bottom of the neck from the right side and exited from the left cheek of the face.

The Public Prosecution did not play its role in investigating the killing of journalist Mohammed Al-Taheri , and identifying the armed party responsible for his death. The victim’s family also did not take any procedures.The family told Free Media that Mohammed was buried the morning after his death, without conducting an autopsy by the forensic doctor, also there is no medical report from the hospital, only a death certificate.

*Free Media for investigative journalism calls on fellow journalists, activists and human rights organizations to advocate for the cases of Yemeni journalists and activists who have been subjected to violations in the past years, and to work to activate justice and hold the perpetrators of these violations accountable

***

Note

This brief summary is part of the “For the Truth” project, within which an in-depth report on the situation will be published during the current year 2024.

Share