Al Arabiya news channel reported on Friday that Yemeni police confiscated broadcasting equipment from their Sanaa offices due to their coverage of the country’s unrest in the south.
A government official claimed that Al Arabiya did not have proper authorization for the equipment in a statement on the official news agency Saba. He said the equipment would eventually be returned.
They are concerned about the way we cover what is going on in the south. They didn't give us a reason, but we believe this is the link
Al Arabiya’s bureau chief in Sanaa was also detained and questioned for two hours.
"They are concerned about the way we cover what is going on in the south. They didn't give us a reason, but we believe this is the link," Nasser al-Sarami, head of media at Al Arabiya said.
When asked about the seizure, a ministry spokesman said that broadcasting gear "should not serve to provoke trouble and amplify events in such a way as to harm public order."
On Thursday, thousands demonstrated across Yemen to demand an ease on the crackdown in the south. Two people were shot dead by police.
Thursday's demonstrators were calling for the military to withdraw from southern cities and for the government to halt a sweeping campaign of arrests.
Al Arabiya is among the most popular news channels in the Arab world. Sarami estimates the channel has around 200 million viewers across the globe.
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