Yemeni photojournalist Nabil Hasan al-Quaety, who contributed to RT’s video agency Ruptly and other outlets, has been killed outside his home in the southern city of Aden by unknown attackers.
“We at Ruptly are shocked and saddened to hear about the death of award-winning journalist Nabil Hasan al-Quaety, who was brutally murdered outside his home in Aden, Yemen on Tuesday,” the video agency said in a statement.
Al-Quaety was gunned down moments after leaving his home. According to some local reports, he was about to set off in his car when unknown gunmen opened fire. Other reports say the assailants initially attempted to ram him with their own vehicle, then began shooting when he tried to flee. The journalist died of his injuries while being taken to hospital.
“The killing of any reporter is tragic, but especially so as Nabil leaves behind a young family and a grieving wife who is expecting their fourth child,” Ruptly said. Al-Quaety worked as a freelance reporter, videographer and photographer. His work received international recognition in 2016 when the UK Rory Peck Awards described his video reporting as “rare and outstanding.”
“Nabil occasionally freelanced for Ruptly and we remember him as a hardworking and dedicated journalist who did excellent work with his unflinching coverage of the conflict in the region,” the video agency said. It added that his death is “a stark reminder of the dangers facing all journalists throughout the world for simply seeking to tell the truth and report on the horrors faced by millions of people.”
His murder was also condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which called on the Yemeni authorities to conduct a “thorough” investigation into the case. “The brazen killing of Nabil al-Quaety is an outrage. Authorities in Aden must conduct a serious and thorough investigation into the attack, and determine whether it was related to his journalism,” said CPJ Senior Middle East and North Africa Researcher Justin Shilad.
Aden is de-facto outside the control of both the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels – who have been engaged in a brutal civil war since 2015. The city has been seized by the so-called Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist movement seeking to separate Southern Yemen from the rest of the country.
It is unclear whether there was a political motive to the killing of Nabil Hasan al-Quaety. A local journalist association said that they are unaware of any recent threats made against him.
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