Taiz lawyers support Al-Jomhuryah journalists [Archives:2006/1010/Front Page]
Mohammed bin Sallam
TAIZ, Dec. 24 ) The Taiz Yemeni Lawyers Syndicate announced on Dec. 24, its stance with journalists working in Taiz-based Al-Jomhuryah daily newspaper who are asking for raising the wages as is the case with counterparts in Al-Thawrah newspaper.
In a released statement, the syndicate declared its support for Al-Jomhuryah newspaper affiliates in their legitimate demands for improving their living standards.
“The Taiz Lawyers Syndicate follows with concern protest developments of Al-Jomhuryah newspaper journalists and editors that started 15 days ago with lifting red flags,” noted the syndicate's statement.
The statement denounced confiscating pressmen's minds by freezing them and emptying them from the main concern of the press.
It also expressed sorrow over the suppression among journalists themselves in the Al-Jamahoriah Establishment itself, an institution that graduated a number of leading journalists like Abdulhabib Salim, Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, Abdullah Sa'ad, Mohammed Al-Mujahid and several others who were an exemplary in their professionalism not only at the national level but at the international one too.
Further, the statement went on to say that they are with Yemeni journalists in their attempts to develop their job and improve their living conditions. It also demanded that pressmen receive their rights in full, in a way that saves their firm pride.
The syndicate called on all parties in Al-Jomhuryah Establishment to sit together and come out with solutions pleasing all and to exert efforts to prevent discrimination and parting among them.
In a letter forwarded to Parliament and Shoura councils, journalists syndicate and civil society organizations, Al-Jomhuryah journalists asked for their stance with them against the suppressions of Samir Al-Yousofi, Al-Jomhuryah's editor-in-chief. It also asked journalists syndicate to help them sue him as he insulted his colleagues over the newspaper's papers.
The letter further indicated the journalists would continue their open protest in the newspaper's headquarters and journalists syndicate headquarters, Taiz branch.
The journalists also sympathized with the chairman and the administrative staff of the Taiz branch who refused their legitimate demands, asking the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate president's intervention to stop violations against them.
They also asked other journalists of all Yemeni newspapers and Web sites to stand by them.
Al-Yousofi, according to protestors, tried to break the protest as he promised some to appoint them in leading posts within the establishment; but he failed and they declared they would continue their protest until their demands are met.
More than 22 journalists at Al-Jomhuryah ask for improving their professional and material conditions and not to admit the new nominations of the establishment's leadership. They also accused it of nepotism regarding nominations, promotions and bonuses.
Reacting to Al-Jomhuryah newspaper's journalists' suffering, 43 journalists from Al-Thawrah newspaper decided to support their colleagues until their demands are met.
For its part, Al-Jomhuryah newspaper denied what was reported in the complaint distributed by the Al-Jumhuryah journalists to the media, asking journalists syndicate to verify the complaint.
The newspaper went beyond that to describe the protestors as lifting the red flags- a phrase that carries bad sexual overtones- considered by the latter to be defamation for which the newspaper should be sued.
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