Yemen Journalists Syndicate Condemns Seizure of Writers Union HQ in Sanaa
The Yemen Journalists Syndicate stated that it has followed with grave concern the circulating information regarding an attempt to target the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Yemeni Writers and Authors Union in the capital, Sanaa, and an attempt to hand the building's guard an order to evacuate it. It considered this a step that raises serious fears of existing efforts to seize the Union's headquarters and its properties.
The Yemen Journalists Syndicate announced its full solidarity with the Yemeni Writers and Authors Union, its leadership, and its members. In a statement, a copy of which was obtained byNashwan News, it warned of the dire consequences of any attempt to seize the Union's premises or properties, or to tamper with its library, archive, and holdings.
The statement considered that any encroachment upon this venerable cultural institution constitutes an assault on Yemen's cultural and national memory, and an extension of a dangerous trajectory targeting what remains of civil society entities, institutions, professional unions, and federations.
The Syndicate affirmed that the Yemeni Writers and Authors Union is one of the most prominent symbols of Yemeni national work, with an exceptional historical experience in transcending the political and geographical divisions that Yemen has endured. The Union was established in October 1970, and succeeded in bringing together writers and authors from the north and south of the homeland under one framework, making it one of the first unified Yemeni entities two decades before the achievement of Yemeni unity, embodying through culture and literature the Yemeni people's aspirations for unity and a unifying national belonging.
For more than half a century, the Union has played a prominent role in enriching cultural and intellectual life, defending freedom of creativity and expression, promoting the values of pluralism, tolerance, and dialogue, and preserving Yemen's cultural and national identity. It has remained an inclusive space for intellectuals and writers of various orientations and affiliations, and a model of independent civil work that transcends political conflicts and divisions.
The Yemen Journalists Syndicate warned of the danger of continued tightening against civil society institutions, professional and cultural unions and federations, and the seizure of their headquarters and properties, as this represents an undermining of what remains of the civil sphere in the country and a threat to the independence of institutions whose experiences and achievements Yemenis have accumulated over decades.
The Syndicate called on the de facto authorities in Sanaa to halt any measures targeting the headquarters of the Yemeni Writers and Authors Union or its properties, to respect the Union's independence, legal personality, and lawful rights, and to ensure the protection of its premises, library, and archive, and to refrain from targeting them under any pretext.
The Yemen Journalists Syndicate called upon all intellectuals, journalists, writers, authors, civil society organizations, and institutions concerned with culture and freedom of expression inside and outside Yemen to stand in solidarity with the Yemeni Writers and Authors Union and to oppose any attempt to confiscate its institutions or obliterate its history.
