Journalists’ ordeals on the rise [Archives:2006/929/Front Page]

By: Yasser Al-Mayasi

SANA'A, March 15 ) Anonymous individuals kidnapped journalist Qaed Al-Tairi, editor of Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) mouthpiece Al-Thawri weekly, near the Iranian Medical Center in Sana'a on Saturday.

The perpetrators grabbed Al-Tairi, bundled him into a car blindfolded and took him to an area outside the capital called Wadi Thaqban, which lies between Bani Al-Harith and Hamdan. They severely beat him and left him without anyone to take him to the hospital.

Al-Tairi said his abductors tortured him with electric shocks and accused him of being a secessionist and resisting the regime. He was beaten on various parts of his body including his legs, thighs and hands, with one of the perpetrators biting his finger.

The horror-stricken journalist refused to accuse any party of being behind the incident, instead holding the Interior Ministry accountable for protecting journalists.

The YSP released a statement saying Al-Tairi is a prominent opposition journalist and a member of the party's central committee. The statement stressed that such abuses target press freedom, oppress journalists and prevent them from doing their noble job of uncovering corruption and corrupt individuals.

According to the YSP statement, recurring kidnapping incidents against journalists and political activists impact the democratic process and political plurality. Such illegal practices may lead to the spread of terrorism, oppression and totalitarianism.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) issued a statement about the attack against Al-Tairi, describing it as a flagrant crime.

It was a well-organized act implemented by professional perpetrators, indicating that the attackers were backed by official parties, Marwan Dammaj, head of the YJS Liberties Committee, said in a statement. “We are concerned about recurring attacks against journalists, which the Interior Ministry records as being committed by unknown individuals.”

According to Dammaj, journalist attacks are on the rise as perpetrators never face the consequences of their actions. Disclosing the perpetrators' identities is the Interior Ministry's task. \”Since they have been attributed to anonymous individuals