UAE-backed forces abduct Yemeni commentator

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — UAE-aligned National Resistance Forces (NRF) abducted Yemeni political commentator Adel al-Nazili from his home in Al-Mokha on November 18, according to rights groups and a family member who say the move followed his criticism of senior NRF leaders on Facebook.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged authorities to secure his release, warning that paramilitary forces in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government are increasingly operating outside legal oversight. 

“This targeting of al-Nazili reflects a broader pattern of silencing journalists without legal grounds,” said CPJ chief programs officer Carlos Martínez de la Serna.

Al-Nazili, who has contributed to News Yemen and the Al-Yawm Al-Thamin Foundation, accused NRF leadership of nepotism and treating the force as a personal enterprise. 

Rights group SAM reported that he is being held in “Al-Qanuniya,” a secret NRF-run detention site in Al Hudaydah Governorate known for harsh conditions. 

The family member, requesting anonymity for security reasons, said he has not been charged.

The NRF were formed in 2018 and are led by Brigadier General Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council. 

Yemen remains one of the world’s most dangerous environments for journalists, who face killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and censorship amid the ongoing conflict between Houthi rebels and government-aligned forces.

CPJ said it contacted the Yemeni embassy in Washington for comment but received no response.