Armed Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen. The Iran-backed group sentence six civilians to death last week on politicised charges. AP
Armed Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen. The Iran-backed group sentence six civilians to death last week on politicised charges. AP
Armed Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen. The Iran-backed group sentence six civilians to death last week on politicised charges. AP
Armed Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen. The Iran-backed group sentence six civilians to death last week on politicised charges. AP

Five Yemeni YouTubers abducted by Houthis, minister says


Ali Mahmood
  • English
  • Arabic

Houthi militias have abducted five well-known Yemeni social media influencers who criticised the Iran-backed group, a Yemeni minister has said.

The influencers highlighted the Houthis' widespread corruption, mismanagement and failure to provide basic services for people living in areas under their control.

Yemen's Minister of Information Moammar Al Eryani told The National that Houthi militias abducted YouTubers including Mustafa Al Mumari, Hamoud Al Mesbahi, Ahmed Al Law and Issa Al Outhari.

The quartet had posted videos criticising the pro-Houthi security service for abducting YouTuber Ahmed Hajar as he walked through Sanaa 15 days ago.

Mr Hajar was abducted after posting a video on his YouTube channel in which he criticised Houthi authorities for corruption and mismanagement.

Mr Al Mumari has more than two million followers on his channel. He and the other abductees have produced videos on YouTube and Facebook reaching millions of followers in Houthi-held areas and elsewhere.

The abduction is “an extension of the repression acts and the heinous crimes” of the Houthi militia, Mr Al Eryani said.

Those cries targeted “journalists, politicians, social media influencers and any who oppose the crimes and oppression” of the Iran-backed group, he added.

“Abducting Ahmed Hajar and his fellow YouTubers is a desperate attempt by the Iran-backed militia to silence those activists who struggle to give a voice for the ordinary people who have been dying of hunger in areas under the Houthi control,” Mr Al Eryani said.

“The latest frenzied campaign launched by the Houthi militia to crack down on social media influencers reflects the hysteria of the Houthi leaders” after calls for a revolution against the group, he said.

“These calls reflect growing popular congestion and anger as due to the militia's practices and after confirming its corruption and its responsibility for the deteriorated conditions in areas under its control,” he added.

Last week, a pro-Houthi court issued death sentences against six civilians from Al Mahweet province, among them three teachers, based on politicised charges, said Mr Al Eryani.

In December, the group executed 16 civilians from Saada province for “no fault except their opposition for the group's sectarian agenda, such genocide is committed by the Iran-backed group while the UN and the international community keep a blind eye”, he said.

More than 120 human rights and civil society organisations in Yemen issued a joint statement on Wednesday, urging the international community to pressure the Houthi militia to release thousands of dissidents including journalists and social media influencers.

They said: “Yemen civil society and human rights organisations have been closely monitoring the Houthi frantic and hysterical campaigns targeting journalists and social media influencers who strongly voiced their opposition against the Houthi group corruption, who looted everything and left the Yemeni people suffering poverty and hunger.”

The five pillars of Islam

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4. Shahada 

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Paltan

Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5

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2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
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Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

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3. More tax audits

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4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

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6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

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7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Updated: January 10, 2023, 12:00 PM