Al-Khaiwani still detained, authorities ban visits [Archives:2007/1062/Front Page]

SANA'A, June 24 ) Yemeni Journalists Syndicate issued a statement last Saturday condemning the detention of the former Editor-in-Chief of Al-Shoura.net Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, considering it a dangerous precedence because of the awful way by which security forces broke into his house and violently arrested him at the presence his wife and children and without allowing him to put on his clothes.

The Syndicate also denounced the inspection of his house by the security group who did not reveal their identities or show the permit from the concerned authorities to do so, together with confiscating his personal papers, laptop and other belongings. In order to let them in, the security group claimed they are electricity employees and need to check the power fuse box inside the house, according to sources close to his family.

Furthermore, the syndicate voiced resentment over the physical and psychological abuses Al-Khaiwani was subjected to while taking him into the Specialized Penal Prosecution office. The signs of cuts and bruises were clear on his body. Despite his demands to be examined by a doctor to prove the attacks on him, the General Prosecution declined his demands and just jailed him.

It sees such measures taken against Al-Khaiwani to come within the frame of harassments and suppressive acts aiming to silence him, particularly after his recently published articles, considering his detention as law and constitution-violating. It also demanded the Attorney General to release him immediately.

Al-Khaiwani's lawyer Khalid Al-Anisi assured the Minister of Interior Rashad Al-Alimi directed security authority to prevent any visit to Al-Khaiwani.

Al-Anisi told Yemen Times that journalists, political activists and lawyers were prevented from entering to see Al-Khaiwani and the guards declared they have directives from Al-Alimi.

He hinted that Interior Ministry has violated the law and deprived Al-Khaiwani from his own basic rights: including his right to be visited by his lawyer. It is further an intervention with the prosecution's work. He maintained they will submit a complaint to the Attorney General demanding him to question Al-Alimi.

Assistant secretary general of the Public Forces Union Party Mohammed Al-Mutawkel stressed the arrest of Al-Khaiwani is an attempt by the state to show off and to move from the on-going military crisis into a political one.

Upon the end of the war, the authority is left with two options either reforms or intentionally creating new crisis, according to Al-Mutawkel.

“I am afraid that Al-Khaiwani's arrest is an introduction for a new crisis, because the authority is impaired to make reforms and not qualified to do so,” said Al-Mutawkel.

A member of the political office at the Yemeni Socialist Party Mohammed Ghaleb Ahmed pointed out arresting Al-Khaiwani, in his sleeping dress, is not strange to the authority especially under the absence of a real democracy or a security authority that protects citizens.

Ghaleb added what happened to Al-Khaiwani may happen with others, announcing his stance with Al-Khaiwani and all those subjected to terrorization and suppression.

Yemeni Armed Forces' newspaper 26 September.net attributed detaining Al-Khaiwani to his links with the third Sana'a terrorist cell accused of implanting explosives in the Capital Sana'a.

Deputy Head of the media department at the Yemeni Socialist Party Mohammed Al-Maqaleh denounced what was published in 26 September.net, maintaining is a mere fabrication.

He added Al-Khaiwani's arrest is no more than a settling of accounts and those who prepared for his arrest did not put in their minds the defame on Yemen and the protests of civil society organizations and politicians.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement in which the Yemeni government was asked to set Al-Khaiwani free, expressing its concern over punishing Al-Khaiwani for his opinions and criticism of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The committee also demanded the government to bring in its evidences against him in case their claims are true.

Likewise, Joint Meeting Parties denounced arresting Al-Khaiwani and assured such an arrest comes within the frame of violations against pressmen and journalists in particular and human rights in general.

Change Organization, under establishment, demanded all civil and political powers to sand by Al-Khaiwani and to exert more efforts in order to set him free. It called further for trialing all those involved in Al-Khaiwani's arrest.
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