SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: December 24, 2019

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Imprisonment

Institution(s):Sana'a University

Region & Country:Western Asia | Yemen

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On December 24, 2019, it was reported that Houthi fighters abducted Sana’a University professor Mohammed Nabil Al-Harazi while he was on his way home from campus, reportedly assaulting him and taking him to an unknown location.

No additional information regarding the abduction or Professor Al-Harazi’s release was available as of this report. 

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the abduction of a university professor by non-state militants. All parties to a conflict must refrain from the detention and disappearance of non-combatants, including members of higher education communities. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such attacks undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally. 

Sources:
https://www.tellerreport.com/news/2019-12-24—the-yemeni-army-downs-two-militia-planes-carrying-explosives-.SJ445oWekI.html
http://old.adengd.net/news/432118/#.Xoy1TdNKgU1
https://www.elyamnelaraby.com/444758