Oman travel vlogger kidnapped in Yemen’s Marib

A prominent Omani travel content creator and adventurer, Harith Al-Shereiqi, has been abducted in the city of Marib and taken to an unknown location, according to the Yemen Press Agency, citing local sources.

The sources claim that Al-Shereiqi was stopped at one of the security checkpoints manned by the Islah militia, whose forces are fighting on behalf of the Saudi-backed, internationally-recognised Yemeni government. The city is the government’s remaining northern stronghold which has faced renewed offensives by the Houthi-allied armed forces following their advance in the province in 2021.

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A post shared by حارث الشريقي (@traveler_harith)

In a Facebook post yesterday, southern activist Ali Al-Nassi said: “The security forces arrested YouTuber and Omani traveler Harith Al-Shereiqi five days ago at one of Marib’s security checkpoints because of his desire to visit Sanaa.”

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“We appeal to Governor Sultan Al-Arada to immediately release the Omani traveler as he is a visiting guest to Yemen and has nothing to do with any political dispute in the country,” Al-Nassi added.

“If his visit to Sanaa is considered a crime, you should arrest the UN envoy and the Saudi ambassador Al Jaber for visiting Sanaa more than once,” he said.

The Sanaa-based NGO, Insan Organisation for Rights and Freedoms has condemned the Omani vlogger’s kidnapping and called for his immediate release, holding the Saudi-led coalition and Islah responsible for his safety.

In a statement, the organisation said the areas controlled by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has been witnessing increased lawlessness, where the crimes of abduction and murder against travellers have been on the rise, the latest of which was the recent kidnapping of two workers affiliated with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Marib governorate.

Al-Shereiqi’s most recent content on his Instagram account and YouTube channel documenthis travels across Yemen to his hundreds of thousands of followers.

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