اقرأ المحتوى باللغة العربيةThe Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies strongly condemns the incitement campaign directed against the Center and its Chairperson, Maged al-Madhaji—a vicious online smear campaign that culminated in a statement issued by the Tur al-Bahah Military Axis on November 4, 2025. The statement made unfounded accusations naming Al-Madhaji and Sana’a Center writers as part of what it described as an “imminent terrorist plot” allegedly meant to incite chaos in the city of Al-Turbah in Taiz governorate. Such claims directly threaten the personal safety of al-Madhaji and, more broadly, individuals working in the civil sphere.
The targeting of the Center and its Chairperson came two days after the Sana’a Center published an editorial addressing the state of lawlessness in Taiz, following the assassination of Iftehan al-Mashhari, manager of the Cleaning and Improvement Fund in the governorate, who was killed by a member of the 170th Air Defense Brigade after facing an online defamation campaign. The editorial highlighted that “The Islah party is the major actor on the ground in the city, and while they have not been directly implicated in the murder, the party clearly bears responsibility for maintaining order and curbing abuses by rogue actors.”
Within hours of publishing the editorial, an avalanche of posts appeared to be part of a coordinated campaign by activists and journalists aligned with the Islah party, targeting the Sana’a Center and its Chair. This created an atmosphere of incitement that paved the way for the serious accusations that followed in the statement issued by the Tur al-Bahah Military Axis. The Sana’a Center views this campaign as an attempt to divert attention from the core issue—the prevailing state of lawlessness in the governorate—and from the party’s responsibility to restrain its armed elements. The Center holds the Islah party fully and directly responsible for any consequences that may arise from this campaign, given that the incitement originates from individuals affiliated with the party, including members of the Axis leadership and various social media accounts.
The Sana’a Center reiterates its message that it is an independent research institution, and that all content published in its name undergoes extensive internal deliberation within a strict editorial policy that ensures the Center remains a professional entity unaffiliated with any political party or political agenda.
Accordingly, it calls on the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government—represented by the Ministry of Defense and the Office of the Chief of Staff—to assume responsibility for this serious and alarming development, in which military institutions have been employed to wage political battles and intimidate critical civil voices as well as organizations engaged in civil and political work.
The Sana’a Center urges the international community to take a clear and firm stance against any actor that undermines civil activity in Yemen, and to stand united in support of what remains of the country’s civil, political, and human rights–based work. It notes that its researchers have previously been subjected to arrests and assaults, including incidents in the city of al-Turba and others in areas controlled by the Houthis in Taiz—reflecting the risks faced by independent researchers and media professionals operating inside Yemen.
The Sana’a Center affirms that such incitement campaigns will not deter it from continuing its independent research and civil work. The Center remains committed to contributing to a comprehensive and just peace for all Yemenis, and to advancing a future in which state institutions prevail and the principles of accountability and transparency are upheld—regardless of the actor involved.
Issued by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies
November 5, 2025