LONDON: Social media platform X has removed the blue “Verified” badge from the accounts of some Houthi leaders and affiliated groups.
The affected accounts include those belonging to the Iran-backed group’s spokesperson, Yahya Sare’e, in English and Arabic, Hussein Al-Ezzi, the Houthi government’s deputy foreign affairs minister, and Al-Masirah Channel, the group’s media network.
The Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, welcomed the decision by X. He said it followed a request by the Yemeni government for Houthi propaganda to be blocked from social media platforms and other media channels, in an effort to “dry up the Houthi militia’s (financial, political and media) resources.”
In a message posted on X, Al-Eryani wrote: “There is no difference between them and the terrorist groups whose pages media platforms are combating as part of the global war on terrorism.”
He accused the Houthis of “spreading terrorist ideas, promoting hate speech, inciting violence, and recruiting and brainwashing children through their social media pages.”
We welcome the cancellation of the social media platform (X) to the blue badge of Al-Masirah Channel website, and other leaders of the terrorist Houthi militia affiliated with Iran, including Yahya Saree, in preparation for its closure, in response to government demands, and…
— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) March 12, 2024
The US redesignated the Houthis as a terrorist organization in January, two years after removing it from the list, in response to an ongoing series of attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that have disrupted international shipping and global trade. The group claims to be acting in solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people.
In response to the removal of the blue badges, Al-Ezzi appealed to Elon Musk, the owner of X, to reinstate them or “at least return the subscription fees” paid for them.
In a message posted on X, Al-Ezzi threatened a “comprehensive boycott of the platform” and warned it “will be the first loser, as millions will leave it for an alternative and competitive Yemeni platform.”
تنبيه:
أي استمرار في العبث بحسابات الثوار والمناضلين اليمنيين على منصة إكس سيدفعنا للقيام بمايلي:
1-المقاطعة الشاملة للمنصة وستكون هي الخاسر الأول
2-المغادرة بأعداد مليونية إلى منصةأخرى ريثما يتسنى للعقل اليمني ابتكار منصة يمنية بديلة ومنافسة(لايمكن لأحد أن يعبث معنا ثم لايخسر)
— حسين العزي (@hussinalezzi5) March 12, 2024
In February, following the US redesignation of the Houthis as terrorists, X suspended several accounts affiliated with the group. The Houthis described the move as “a violation of all human rights conventions.”
