Media rights groups on Monday urged Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels to free four journalists sentenced to death for “espionage” in the war-torn country.
The four, Abdul Khaleq Amran, Tawfiq Al Mansouri, Harith Hamid and Akram Al Walidi, were arrested in June 2015 in Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa.
The Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa from the internationally recognised government in 2014, sparking a civil war that has devastated the already impoverished country.
In April 2020, a Houthi court sentenced the four journalists to death on charges of “treason and spying for foreign states”, a verdict condemned at the time by Yemen's government.
“Their arrest was motivated by their reporting on human rights violations committed by Houthi forces,” the International Federation of Journalists and the Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate said in a joint statement.
The two organisations said they were “launching an emergency call … to put pressure on the Houthi authorities to release our colleagues and save their lives".
The Brussels-based IFJ, which represents journalists and unions from more than 140 countries, said the four had suffered “physical and psychological torture” as well as the “denial of the right to be visited and the right to have access to medical care".
At the time of their trial, Amnesty International criticised their sentencing on “trumped-up charges”, while Reporters Without Borders called the verdict “totally unacceptable".
Hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in Yemen's conflict, which the UN has labelled the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
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