Appeal to President Saleh: “Is there room for independent journalism?” [Archives:1999/02/Front Page]

There is a rising level of attack against me, the Yemen Times, and generally all opposition newspapers in Yemen. Three different articles on the last page of Issue # 837 dated 7/1/1999 of 26th September Newspaper – owned by the State of Yemen – attacked Al-Wahdawi Newspaper (mouthpiece of the Nasserite Party), Al-Shoura Newspaper (mouthpiece of Ittihad Al-Qiwa Al-Sha’abiyah Party), and the Yemen Times (an independent newspaper). 
It is illegal to use state resources in inter-party political competition. If the attacks had been in newspapers representing the People’s General Congress, which also carry lots of attack, it would have been less objectionable, though the language used is pretty cheap and low. 
The 26th September Newspaper, which is managed by the press secretary of the president, also carried another article on page 2. This article openly threatened me. First, it accused me of high treason, of conspiring against the supreme interests of the nation, and of working for Western intelligence agencies, international zionism and the masonic movement. But that is not all. The paper, in addition, ominously wrote: “…Saqqaf is working his way to suicide…” 
I want to appeal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh who has worked hard to take Yemen from totalitarianism to a democratizing system. The President repeatedly stated his commitment for tolerance and differences of opinion. Printing open threats in official newspapers against editors and journalists is contrary to all that. It is contrary to basic rule of law. 
The President and his men know very well that I’ve never worked against the interests of Yemen. Moreover, I do not see myself as an enemy of President Saleh or the regime. I do criticize their mistakes, but that falls within my duty as a journalist. I am actually serving Yemen’s interests. 
Mr. President, let me say that as editor of the Yemen Times, I cannot turn it into a carbon copy of the official newspapers. However, if issuing the Yemen Times will cost me my life, as the threats indicate, I do not want to continue with it. 
This matter is in your hands! 
Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf
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