The unrest in the Middle East which has been raging in recent weeks has taken a new and disturbing turn as the governments of Yemen and the Sudan have begun to attack journalists in an effort to suppress the news of demonstrations and protests from spreading to their citizens.
Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the coordinator in the Middle East and North Africa for the Committee to Protect Journalists stated:
"We are disturbed by the targeting of journalists that is spreading across multiple countries in the Arab world. The governments of Sudan and Yemen are physically attacking journalists in an effort to disrupt the free delivery of news to local and international audiences. Those governments seem to not have learned anything from the mistakes made by the governments in Tunis and Cairo."
Reports from the Sudan describe the beating of several journalists while at least another eight have been detained. In Yemen journalists have been equally ill-treated, with harassment occurring while they stand among protesters who are calling for the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh from his office.