Al-Wahdawi [Archives:2008/1172/Press Review]

Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Top Stories

– JMP leader criticizes official terrorism against citizens, holds authority accountable for any negative consequences

– NUPO Assistant Secretary-General: citizens' arrest incriminates the right to express oneself freely

– American newspaper: Saleh ruled Yemen via fomenting conflicts between the various tribes

– Security authorities intimidated by journalists, block roads leading to Supreme Judicial Council

Protesters, who responded to a call by civic society organizations to protest in front of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) over manipulation of a court verdict issued against the reputed journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Shoura Weekly Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, were surprised by such irresponsible and arbitrary security procedures, the website reported in its lead story.

It added that security authorities intensified the number of troops deployed in the Justice Street and other sub-roads in the area, thereby blocking all the reads leading to SJC in order to prevent protesters from approaching the highest judicial body in Yemen.

After some of the protesters took photos for the excessive deployment of security personnel in the area, the police tried to confiscate the protesters' cameras. They prevented Aljazeera Satellite Channel cameraman from taking any photos for the scene.

As a result, protesters moved toward Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate where they announced their demands with regard to investigating the way the court verdict issued against Al-Khaiwani was manipulated and releasing the victim, who has been jailed for several times over his critical writing.

Civic society organizations viewed such exceptional procedures against protesters as contravening the Constitution and effective laws, adding that they reflect the inhuman way the government treats its citizens. These organizations strongly denounced such security reactions against civil functions, ensured by Constitution of the Republic of Yemen.
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