34 press freedom violations since January [Archives:2007/1067/Front Page]
By: Saddam Al-Ashmouri
For Yemen Times
SANA'A, July 11 ) A bi-annual report on press freedom in Yemen revealed that there are 34 violations cases in Yemen. Violations have included defamation, tracking down, detention, threats, blocking of websites and prosecution.
The report, issued by Women Journalists Without Chains, also mentioned, “Last year was distinguished for prosecuting newspapers and journalists rather than other violations. Whereas the direct attack on the journalist is what made the first half of the same year special. All these violations are carried out by the security forces.” The report affirmed that the violation rate increased remarkably from last year.
It is worth mentioning that the report did not include violations against the press due to reasons other than opinion and publication. These violations are being carried out against established rights and freedoms. The report also failed to mention issues related to continuous violations of previous years, such as the ongoing prosecution of certain newspapers and journalists. Additionally, there are some issues that appeared to be personal conflicts between journalists and outside sources, conflicts that could well arise with any citizen.
The same source did not contain the cases of deprivation, performed by the Ministry of Information, against individuals and establishments from possessing newspapers. The ministry has only reissued two of the 65 licenses confiscated by the ministry. It neither comprised the intimidation campaign that the press was subjected to via phone contacts, nor the persuasion campaign against journalists by high-ranking, state officials.
The report, however, did point out that those violations missing from the current report will be included in the final report of the year 2007.
The report was being discussed in conjunction with the 9th sit-in of various journalists, human rights activists, and MPs held Tuesday morning at “Freedom Sqaure” in order to show solidarity with the organization, Women Journalists Without Chains. Sit-in participants demanded the release of media outlets and the freeing of Abdukareem Al-Khaiwani.
Mr. Abdulbari Taher, the former journalists' chief of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, stated, “Abolishing the Ministry of Information is the first demand of journalists and this demand is a national one.” Taher added that existing laws restrict freedoms especially the freedom of the press. Penalties for violations of these laws may even amount to death. He also pointed out that press freedom is not only an issue of importance to journalists but also affects community members and organizations.
Tawakul Kurman, Chairwoman of Women Journalists Without Chains, said that the aim behind the organization issuing their half-year report on press freedoms' violations in Yemen was not merely for counting violations against journalists but was also to try to bring these violations to the attention of the public with the aim of reducing their occurrence in the near future.
She also pointed out that the world of press in Yemen is mingled with hopes and pains. In the first half of 2007, there were pledges and electoral programs enacted by the president, inspiring and encouraging the people's journalistic aspiration. Unfortunately these pledges coincided with severe drawbacks, topping off with the political asylum of famous journalist, Khalid Salman, after his being prosecuted on fourteen different counts, among them threatening physical liquidity.
She concluded her speech by saying, “We are bidding farewell to this year by imprisoning the journalist Al-Khaiwani and prosecuting him in a state security court, setting a precedent of the first event happening to a journalist.”
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