After Appearing in Photos Without a Hijab: Has Kholoud Bashraheel Been Arrested?

Media reports stated that the police in Hadramawt Governorate detained Yemeni model Kholoud Bashraheel and her husband after she appeared in a series of photos with him without wearing a hijab or abaya. It was mentioned that the police refuse to release the model and her husband following their appearance in a series of videoclips and pictures on their social media accounts without the hijab or abaya that most women in Yemen wear. Additionally, the authorities have not leveled any charges against them yet. Hadramawt is located in southeastern Yemen and is part of areas controlled by the internationally recognized government. Kholoud Bashraheel called for "liberation and rejection of traditional and extremist ideas" in videos on social media and recently announced her decision to remove the hijab. The photos and videos have sparked widespread controversy. In 2021, a court affiliated with the Houthi group in Sana'a sentenced Yemeni model and actress Intisar Al-Hamadi and three other women to prison after convicting them of "committing indecent acts."