After his acquittal, a human rights center demands compensation for journalist Ahmed Maher and accountability for those responsible for his arrest

The American Center for Justice ( ACJ ) welcomed the acquittal of journalist Ahmed Maher by the Criminal Court in Aden, which ordered his immediate release, while demanding that those responsible for his arrest be held accountable and that he be compensated for the material and psychological damage he suffered.

The center confirmed in a statement, "The arrest of Ahmed Maher was arbitrary, without any legal basis, and continued for more than two years, during which he was subjected to torture and deprived of his most basic rights."

ACJ demanded that those responsible for his arrest be held accountable and that he be compensated for the psychological and material damages he suffered. It renewed its call to protect press freedom in Yemen and to stop violations against journalists.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Criminal Court in the interim capital, Aden, issued a ruling acquitting journalist Ahmed Maher of all charges against him, after he spent about two and a half years in prison following his kidnapping by the Transitional Council forces.

It is noteworthy here that journalist Maher was kidnapped on August 6, 2022, by forces affiliated with the Transitional Council in Aden, and was then subjected to enforced disappearance and torture before being referred to trial on malicious and unproven charges related to terrorism.

After his kidnapping and the obstruction of his trial sessions, the criminal court issued a four-year prison sentence against him in late May, in courts described as lacking standards of justice.