The decision to rename the Security Belt Forces and integrate them under the title of “National Security Forces” does not constitute genuine security sector reform. Rather, it represents a dangerous step toward rebranding a documented system of serious violations under a new institutional cover, entrenching impunity and directly undermining any claims of institutional reform, state-building, or the establishment of the rule of law in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital.

An alarming collapse in press and media freedoms is unfolding in Yemen, where journalism has entered one of the most lethal and repressive periods in its modern history, according to a new report by Women Journalists Without Chains.

Zarqa, Jordan — On Friday, economic journalist Faisal Al-Tamimi was assaulted outside his home in Zarqa while returning with his family. Surveillance footage showed two masked men striking him with iron rods before smashing his car and fleeing the scene. Circumstances surrounding the attack suggest it was linked to Al-Tamimi’s reporting on economic issues.

Grave and escalating concern surrounds the imminent threat to the lives of three civilian detainees following the ratification, on 17 December 2025, by the so-called Supreme Court operating under the control of the Houthi militia in Sana’a, of death sentences issued against them, and the subsequent initiation of execution procedures. This development represents an extremely dangerous escalation and raises the real risk of an extrajudicial execution.

Grave concern persists over the continued international silence in the face of documented crimes of torture and other serious violations committed within detention facilities in eastern Libya.

Grave violations against civilians from Rima Governorate in Saada, under the control of Houthi militias, have escalated in recent months. Documentation shows repeated incidents of extrajudicial killings, direct shootings, and torture, reflecting a systematic pattern of organized violence and institutionalized impunity, with strong indicators of region-based targeting.

Recent developments in Taiz Governorate have drawn serious concern over violations of fundamental rights, particularly the freedoms of expression and press, as well as the protection of journalists and human rights activists. Since the beginning of January 2026, security forces affiliated with the Taiz Police have reportedly taken arbitrary measures against a number of journalists, activists, and media professionals, based on their publications and opinions, under the pretext of a declared state of emergency.