American websites “YouTube and Facebook” violate the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Statement issued by Yemen Center for Human Rights:

Yemen Center for Human Rights has become aware of the actions taken by the American platforms “YouTube” and “Facebook” and represented in closing more than 70 channels and media platforms that oppose the war and blockade imposed by the coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Republic of Yemen since March 2015.

Taking into consideration the declared logistical and military support provided by the United States of America to the coalition countries in their military aggression and economic blockade imposed on Yemen, the Center considers these violations of publishing rights and freedom of opinion and expression as another direct support added to the list of announced and undisclosed, direct and indirect involvement of the United States in the grave crimes, violations, and abuses that have been committed and that have cost the lives of Yemenis, deprived them of their basic rights, and destroyed their public and private resources.

As the Center emphasizes that the closure of media channels on the platforms of “YouTube” and “Facebook” constitutes arbitrary practices aimed at preventing the audio, visual, and print media from reaching the people of the world to inform them about the crimes and violations committed in Yemen, the Center considers these actions as violations and transgressions committed by the American regime against the principles, values, and rights it claims to uphold, particularly the freedom of opinion and expression and the dissemination of ideas by any means, as stated in Article 4 of the American Declaration of Human Rights and as affirmed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution regarding freedom of worship, speech, and the press.

Yemen Center for Human Rights affirms that these actions represent a violation of the international covenants and treaties agreed upon by the peoples of the world to protect human rights, foremost among them the United Nations Charter, in which Articles 1, 13, and 55 calls for “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction.” International law on human rights has guaranteed individuals’ right to express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas and to transmit them through various means, as stated in Articles 18-21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This has been reiterated in numerous international agreements and treaties on human rights and affirmed in the literature and publications of the United Nations since its establishment as an inherent right that cannot be banned or restricted.

While Yemen Center for Human Rights condemns these repeated violations and transgressions against the rights of the Yemeni people, it:

• Calls on the Yemeni government to establish and support alternative electronic social platforms that guarantee the right to disseminate information and freedom of expression, free from the restrictions imposed by countries that claim to uphold freedom but fight against freedom in practice;
• Affirms the right to prosecute anyone who commits these violations, regardless of their designation or legal status (individuals, companies, organizations, or governments);
• Encourages all victims to take legal action through available local and international judicial channels.
• Calls on the United Nations to fulfill its duty based on Article 60 of the United Nations Charter in protecting fundamental freedoms and preventing governments, media institutions, and global social media platforms from encroaching upon basic freedoms, and to clearly declare its stance on these violations.

Issued by Yemen Center for Human Rights
Thursday, 20 Muharram 1445 AH, corresponding to 7 August 2023

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