New York, September 19, 2011–Yemeni journalist Hassan al-Wadhaf, a cameraman for the Arabic Media Agency, is in critical condition after being hit in the face by sniper fire while covering protests today in Sana’a, a colleague told CPJ.
“We hope that Hassan al-Wadhaf will recover from his critical injuries,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Al-Wadhaf is one of several journalists attacked while covering protests in Sana’a. All sides of the conflict in Yemen must respect the civilian status of journalists and keep them out of harm’s way.”
The Arabic Media Agency is a clearing house that produces reports for the U.S.-funded Al-Hurra TV and for Al-Ekhbariya, a Saudi Arabia-based satellite news channel.