Law No. 25 (1990) on the press and publications
22 December, 1990
Section One: Definitions and General Principles
PART ONE
Article 1: This law shall be known as the “Press and Publications Law”.
Article 2: For the purposes of the application of this law the words set out below shall bear
the meanings appearing opposite them, provided it is not specified otherwise.
JOURNALISM: The profession of seeking facts, information and news, collecting them and
writing or translating articles, columns, investigations and analyses and preparing programs
and commentaries, drawing of cartoons, photography, press publication and the review and
writing of headlines via the written, audio and visual media.
NEWSPAPER: Any journal or magazine which appears regularly under a single name at
specified intervals for the purpose of public circulation.
JOURNALIST: A person who practises the profession of journalism – written, audio or visual,
or at a Yemeni news agency or a foreign news agency operating in Yemen – as his/her
principal means of livelihood.
NEWS AGENCY: An institution of the press which monitors and seeks news, prepares news
reports, produces written., audio and visual investigations and analyses and distributes them
by various means.
PRINTING PRESS: Any machine or group of machines or equipment intended for the printing
or recording of words, drawings or pictures for publication or circulation. This does not include
equipment for photography, normal typewriters or the machinery used for the photocopying of
documents and papers.
PUBLISHING HOUSE: Anyone who prepares and puts together printed material for printing,
publication and sale.
PUBLISHER: Any individual or company who publishes any printed material on which his/her
name must be recorded.
DISTRIBUTOR: Any individual or company who takes it as his/her profession to trade in the
sale and distribution of newspapers and printed material and to offer it for circulation.
PRINTED MATERIAL: All writings, drawings, audio and visual tape recordings, pieces of
music and photographs when carried by modern scientific or technical means or otherwise
transmitted and suitable for circulation..
PUBLIC CIRCULATION: The offer of newspapers, magazines and printed material for sale or
distribution or its display on shop fronts or any other activity which in any way places it before
the public.
BOOKSHOP: Premises intended for the display and sale of printed material.
NATIONAL LIBRARY: Premises for the storage of historical books and manuscripts. It also
acts as the repository for printed material whether issued regularly or irregularly..
DEPOSITION: Preservation and recording of printed material at the repository.
PART TWO
Article 3: Freedom of knowledge, thought, the press, expression, communication and access
to information are rights of the citizen which enable him/her to express his/her thoughts orally,