Human rights defender, Mr Salah Yahya el-Saqladi, has been held incommunicado in an unconfirmed location since his arrest on 18 June 2009. Salah el-Saqladi is a journalist and the head of the Aden branch of the Organization for Change and the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (OCDRF).

Since November 2006, Salah el-Saqladi has been the political editor of Hewar Human Rights Forum, http://hewarye.org. Prior to his arrest, Salah el-Saqladi had written articles criticizing the authorities in Yemen for human rights violations, especially in southern Yemen.

On 18 June 2009, at approximately 10:30 am, a group of armed men in civilian clothing arrived in two separate vehicles outside Salah el-Saqladi's home in Khour Maksar, Aden. The men forcibly entered the house, took Saleh el-Saqladi from his bedroom, physically assaulted him in the presence of his family, confiscated his mobile phone and laptop and took him to Al-Fatah Camp in Aden, which belongs to the Political Security Apparatus (PSA). According to unconfirmed information, he was later transferred to the PSA prison in Sana’a. To date, Salah el-Saqladi has been not been allowed any visits by family members or lawyers.

Front Line believes that Salah el-Saqladi has been targeted and detained as a result of his work in defense of human rights, especially of the people in South Yemen. Front Line is concerned for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Salah el-Saqladi while in detention.