Washington, D.C., April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the April 26 Houthi drone strike that killed journalist and filmmaker Musab al-Hattami and injured his brother, photographer Suhaib al-Hattami while they were working near the central Yemeni city of Marib.
“The killing of Musab Al-Hattami is yet another stark reminder to the international community that the warring parties in Yemen are violating international law by killing civilians. Such indiscriminate violence exposes all journalists who are brave enough to document the war in Yemen to extreme risk,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “We call on the international community to investigate the attack and hold those responsible to account.”
Al-Hattami left his native Yemen for Jordan, where he studied film, before moving to the Netherlands and becoming a citizen. He worked as a freelancer, making documentaries and writing for various outlets, including Al Jazeera.
Al-Hattami recently returned to Yemen with his wife to make a documentary about his parents’ home town. Three government soldiers were also killed in the attack.
Al-Hattami is the 20th journalist to be killed in Yemen since 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on Houthi insurgents who had taken control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
In December 2024, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula announced the execution of 11 individuals, including Yemeni journalist Mohamed Al-Maqri, who they abducted in 2015 and accused of spying. Between 2015 and 2020, 18 journalists were killed in Yemen.