Press Release from Wa3i Foundation

 Wa3i Foundation condemns and denounces Al Jazeera Mubasher's lack of commitment to journalism ethics standards, including the intellectual property protection conventions, and the publishing regulations.

On 25/07/2020, while the Foundation held its webinar titled "A Disaster Awaiting To Happen: Understanding the Safer Tanker Crisis and its Implications." through Zoom, as part of  its series of sessions about the peace process in Yemen, our panellists and the online audience were shocked that Al Jazeera Mubasher was broadcasting live through its channel 34 minutes of the webinar without receiving any permission from Wa3i Foundation. Wa3i Foundation is an independent non-profit organization and has partnerships with a number of national as well as international organizations that place tremendous emphasis on the Foundation's integrity and independence, which insures the successful achievement of its social service development goals. A number of local and international actors in Yemen have attended the webinar. Throughout the access-restricted webinar it discussed legal, economic and political views on the issue. For that reason, their discussions and conclusions constitute intellectual material specific to the participants, which the Foundation committed to using for research purposes solely.

Al Jazeera Mubasher’s unprofessional act has severely affected the Foundation's activities, and it will lead to adverse effects on its future programs because it has already tarnished the Foundation's reputation and has undermined its objectivity. Such an act indicates that Al Jazeera Mubasher has violated the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty that maintains the protection of producers' rights, as well as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which was signed by the host country of Al Jazeera Mubasher.

Wa3i Foundation reiterates its strong condemnation of Al Jazeera Mubasher and demands (i) an immediate official apology and (ii) the removal of any Wa3i Foundation-related content from all their platforms. The Foundation also reserves its right to sue the above-mentioned channel, as well as its right to fair compensation for both material and reputational damage incurred to the Foundation as a result of this irresponsible and deliberate behaviour by Al Jazeera Mubasher that is a part of Al Jazeera Media Network.

Wa3i Foundation