BRUSSELS-SABA
The International Federation of Journalists called on Thursday the Houthi group to immediately release Yemeni journalist Abdusalam Al-Dais and said it holds the group responsible for his safety.

In a statement published on their website, the IFJ said "the IFJ today lent support to calls from its affiliate in Yemen, the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), on the Houthis group to a quick release of Yemeni journalist Abdulsalam Al-Dais, who was kidnapped by the group in Sanaa on Wednesday 4 July".

Al-Dais, areporter for the state-run Yemen News Agency (Saba) was kidnapped from his relatives’ house in the Shamlan district northwest of Sana'a. Gunmen from the rebel groupcaptured Dais andconfiscated his mobile phone and personal computer and took him to an unknown place.

"The IFJ strongly condemns the kidnapping of journalist Al-Dais. This new kidnapping shows a clear pattern of using journalists as bargaining chips in the ongoing conflict. We deeply resent this, call for the journalists’ immediate release and hold the Houthi group responsible for his safety”, said Anthony Bellanger, IFJ General Secretary.