Yemen's Houthi Ansar Allah Movement Condemns X For Suspension Of Group's Account

On February 17, 2024, the management of the official website of Yemen's Iran-backed Ansar Allah Movement (the Houthis) published[1] a series of statements on Telegram condemning the suspension of the group's account on X. According to reports, X suspended accounts affiliated with the group,[2] coinciding with the enforcement of the U.S. decision to restore the group's terrorist designation.[3]

The statements read: "The suspension of the account of the official Ansar Allah website on the X platform constitutes a violation of all human rights laws and conventions and a flagrant violation of freedom of the press and publication… [it] reveals the double standards of the company operating the platform and its compliance with the decisions of the Zionist lobby. This illegal action puts the professionalism of the X company at stake and proves that using the platform is no longer safe, even in adherence to the company's professional standards. We consider this measure, as well as the previous measure by the German Contabo company which blocked the official Ansar Allah website, as part of the American-British aggression against our country; as the result of the steadfast stance of our dear Yemeni people in support of the oppressed Palestinian people."

On February 18, the group's website went back online, and announced[4] that the group opened a new X account for the website, under the username @ansarollah_ye. According to X data, the account joined the platform in November 2018. As of February 19, the account remains active.

On February 11, the group published a statement on Telegram condemning Contabo for removing its website, describing it as a "violation of freedom of the press" and an attempt to "cover up the genocidal crimes of the Zionist enemy."[5] In November 2023, MEMRI JTTM reported that Contabo hosted the website of Lebanese Hizbullah-owned-and-operated Al-Manar television.[6]